Biker gang meets its match in this driver

Even as the city police claim of having taken several steps to ensure safety of bank visitors in western Ahmedabad, striking outside banks remains a cakewalk for the bike-borne robbers. Two such incidents have taken place near banks in Navrangpura in the past three days.

However, a driver foiled the latest such attempt, when he helped save his employer’s Rs3.65 lakh from being snatched on Wednesday. Earlier, in a similar incident, the biker thieves were able to make away with Rs2.5 lakh on Monday near Law Garden. The police suspect both incidents to be the handiwork of the same gang.

Chandkheda resident Sagar Meena (33) works as driver for a private security agency near Gujarat College. Vijaysinh Gurjar is supervisor at the agency, which handles cash transactions for their clients.

On Wednesday morning, both had gone to HDFC Bank’s Mithakhali branch in an Eeco car and Gurjar withdrew Rs5 lakh from there.

Then, Meena drove Gurjar to the SBI branch near Ellisbridge at 1 pm. Of the Rs5 lakh, Gurjar deposited Rs35,000 into an account and came out with the remaining Rs4.65 lakh.

They then went to ICICI Bank near Nehru bridge, where Gurjar was supposed to deposit Rs1 lakh. “I took the amount and kept the other Rs3.65 lakh back in my bag, which I left on the car’s front seat,” said Gurjar. Meena realised that the bag was at risk of being stolen and decided to return it to Gurjar who was inside the bank.

“As I was stepping out of the car, two youngsters came on a Pulsar bike and snatched the bag, as the front passenger side window was open. I ran after them and snatched the bag from the pillion rider,” said Meena. He also fought and managed to pull them down from their bike.

Meena grabbed the helmet of the rider and gave them a beating. “The duo abandoned their bike and ran away,” he said. Cops found the driving license and documents of the owner of the bike.

“A black Pulsar was also used in the loot near Law Garden on Monday. So, it is possible that the same gang might be behind both incidents,” said Navrangpura PSI AB Jadeja.  

Bike owner identified
Navrangpura police learned that the bike is registered in the name of Rajendra Singh, a resident of Patna, Bihar, where it was purchased a year ago. Cops also found the mobile number of Singh, which is not reachable. Based on CCTV footage from surrounding buildings, cops also learned that the bikers were following Meena’s car for 35 minutes before they struck. The robbers escaped on the bike of a third accomplice, after Meena started chasing them, police said.

According to police, the third accomplice was also spotted outside banks during a robbery near Law Garden, last month. Based on the information about Singh, cops have initiated a probe into the role of a gang from Bihar being active in the city.