Cops bust gang that stole schools’ computers, TVs

The local crime branch (LCB) has busted a gang that stole computers and LCD television sets from primary schools. Members of the gang, which has been active for the last two months, would break into schools located in villages of Bavla taluka, sleuths of the LCB said.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, police inspector of the LCB, JP Raol said that the Bagodara police had arrested one Hasmukh Kanubhai Solanki and one Natubhai Bachubhai Parmar on August 29, on grounds of suspicion. On Tuesday, the LCB, while interrogating the duo, found out that more people had been involved in stealing government property from schools.

Solanki and Parmar told the police that they had stolen the property from the schools, along with two others, Rajesh alias Raju Praveen Solanki and Rajni Solanki. They told the LCB that they had also stolen computers from the offices of village panchayats. One more person, Rajesh alias Raju Hanubhai Solanki, has been arrested in this connection.

Raol said that the gang was busted during a drive initiated by the LCB to swoop down on those responsible for robberies in recent weeks. “The modus operandi of the accused was very simple. They would locate schools and panchayat offices, and would steal the goods in the night,” he said. The main accused in the case, Hasmukh Solanki, possesses knowledge of computers, Raol said.

All those accused in the matter belong to the Devi Pujak community. They have confessed to robbing schools in the Devadthal, Dhanvada, Jakhda, Motibau, Metaal, Varna, Bhayla and Kerala villages. They have also confessed to stealing computers and LCD television sets from panchayat offices. Ten computers and three LCD television sets worth more than Rs2.5 lakh have been recovered from their homes. All five are currently on remand.