In the first incident, the four broke into a housing complex in Kalyan and attacked Deepak Mahato, the guard there, with a sword and a sickle when he tried to stop them.
A team of 200 policemen that had been tracking a 16-year-old aspiring gangster and three others arrested them on Tuesday for a series of serious offences, including murder. The police now want the minor to be tried as an adult, considering the heinous nature of the crimes.
The 16-year-old, along with Nitin Waghe (19), Nitesh Bhoir (20) and Ravindra Waghe (20), were arrested for four different crimes that they committed over the span of one week. The police said that in each incident, the juvenile — who was the gang leader — had taken the lead in committing the crime.
In the first incident, the four broke into a housing complex in Kalyan and attacked Deepak Mahato, the guard there, with a sword and a sickle when he tried to stop them.
The second incident involved the murder of another watchman, Deepak Bhoir, who tried to stop them after they entered an industrial unit of Century Chemicals in Shahad looking to burgle the place. After murdering Bhoir, the four accused buried his body.
Their third victim, Sanjay Bankelal (28), tried to stop them from stealing valuables from a housing complex. But the juvenile, once again, was armed with a sword and severely injured Bankelal with it.
The fourth incident involved the murder of a 22-year-old girl. She was in her bedroom when the accused broke in through a kitchen window and killed her in her sleep. It is alleged that they even raped her corpse, before fleeing with the victim's laptop, cellphone and jewellery.
The girl was an engineering graduate who had recently cleared the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams.
"The 16-year-old planned all the crimes and their modus operandi remained the same in each incident — attack any one who comes in the way," said a Thane crime branch officer.
He added: "They attacked all their victims on the head, neck and face with a sword and a sickle. We have recovered stolen valuables from them, as well as the weapons. They have confessed to the crimes."
Param Bir Singh, commissioner of police, Thane, said: "The 16-year-old is the main accused in all the offences. He wanted to form a gang that was involved in such activities. They spent the stolen money on food and alcohol, while we are yet to ascertain if they consumed drugs as well."
Singh also said: "A case has been lodged against the three accused adults under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destroying evidence), 326 (causing grievous hurt), 457 (house breaking) and 380 (theft in a dwelling house) of the Indian Penal Code, while the minor would be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board."
He added: "The offences committed by the 16-year-old are extremely heinous in nature and we will write to the Juvenile Justice Board to treat the minor as an adult offender. Under the amended Juvenile Justice Act, we could get his custody, produce him in court for further proceedings and seek strict punishment."
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