Three of gang robbing people on Mumbai-Pune Expressway held

With the arrest of three people, the police claim to have busted an interstate gang which looted people at gun point on Mumbai-Pune Expressway offering lifts.

“Their modus operandi was to offer lift to passengers who wait for vehicles on the expressway and other highways. After the person boards the car, they hold him at gunpoint and blindfold him. They take away his cash, jewellery and other valuables. They also take him to ATM kiosk and withdraw cash. They then dump the person on the road,” said Baban Jagtap, assistant police inspector from the crime branch.

Girish Nikam, 40, a news anchor, Sudhir Jalanpure, 55, a manager of State Bank of India, were looted by the gang.

Apart from the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the police also imposed Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA). They are in police custody till September, 19.

The police said that in July the gang stole a car which was on its way from Vashi to Pune. They spiked the tea of the driver at Talegaon in Raigad. After he lost his consciousness, the gang dumped him along the highway and drove away in his car.

They robbed seven people from Navi Mumbai and Pune. They committed more than 22 similar crimes in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi among other places.

“The gang used the same modus operandi. Acting on a tip-off, we arrested the first accused Gurcharan Chahal, 40, a resident of Burari in Delhi on July 27. He was about to take a flight to Delhi, when we arrested him from the Mumbai international airport,” said Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

Based on the details given by Chahal, the police arrested two more people later. They have been identified as Ahmad Islamuddin alias Ravi, 39, a resident of Burari, and Gilfam Jahir Hasan, 38, a resident of Timarpur in Delhi.

Another gang member is still at large.

Doshi said, “We had booked them under 392, 341, 504 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and the court had remanded them in jail custody. On August 20, we applied MCOCA in the case and the Alibaug court remanded them again to our custody till September 19.”

The police have recovered a car, three mobile phones and 956 grams of gold jewellery collectively worth Rs9.99 lakh.

“All three have criminal records,” Doshi said.