Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Tejaji Nagar police arrested four members of an interstate gang from Bagh-Tanda, who had been absconding for the past seven years. Each of them was carrying a bounty of Rs 10,000 and they were finally caught after five months of intense manhunt.
The police detained more than six bullion traders from the city and Dhar and interrogated them to recover more stolen jewellery. The accused were involved in 12 house thefts in zone-1 and 3 thefts in zone-4 of the city while their involvement in Lasudia and Kanadiya’s thefts is also being investigated.
These cunning criminals never spent nights at home, making it nearly impossible for the police to locate them.
Instead, they would sleep under the open sky deep in the jungle and hills area. DCP (zone-1) Vinod Kumar Meena told media persons that the police seized 1.6 kg gold and 6.24 kg silver jewellery worth over Rs 1.23 crore, Rs 3 lakh in cash, two two-wheelers and burglary tools from the gang. The police have been combing through the dense forests of Bag-Tanda in Dhar district for the past five months.
Acting on a tip-off and technical intelligence, a special team arrested the accused from the jungle. The accused are identified as Khadak Singh, a resident of Bhagoli village, who has multiple cases registered in Tejaji Nagar, Chimur (Maharashtra), Rehti (Sehore), and Chhindwara, Sumal Singh Alawa, of Guradiya village, who has case registered in Tejaji Nagar, Dhar, and Akola, Gamar Singh alias Gamariya Masaniya who has 9 cases in Tejaji Nagar, 3 in Rau and one in Akola and had been evading arrest since 2017 and Rammoo Masaniya who has three cases in Tejaji Nagar while their accomplice Rajesh Idiya of Khaniamba village (Tanda), is still absconding.
Some of the gang members, who are currently on the run, are being identified, a team will be sent to Bag-Tanda soon to continue the operation. One of the gang members has been arrested by Visakhapatnam police in connection with a crime there who works as a middleman. The city police will bring him to the city through the production warrant.
Modus operandi
The gang confessed to targeting locked and vacant houses across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. They refrained from carrying mobile phones during crimes and conducted detailed surveillance during the day. Using tools like screwdrivers, cutters and wrenches, they broke into the houses at night and stole jewellery and cash.
Gang works in pyramid form
The gang worked in a pyramid form where the lower level of the members committed thefts then they transferred the valuables to the members at the upper level. They would contact the jewellers and sell it after melting the jewellery.
Case under organised crime to be invoked
Multiple cases are already registered against the accused across various districts. Police are planning to register Section 111(4) of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), which allows for life imprisonment under organised crime and under Section 107 of the BNS to seize their properties.
Accused owned 500 bighas of land
Additional DCP Alok Kumar Sharma said that one of the accused owns 500 bighas of land while another owns 200 bighas, in addition to vehicles like XUV cars, tractors and substantial gold holdings. Despite their wealth, they abandoned education and chose theft as a profession, living deep in the forest and hills.
