3 Mehsana robbers caught; knives seized

The Sabarmati police claim to have busted a gang of three youths, in possession of two knives and weapons. The gang used to rob passengers of their valuables at isolated places in Mehsana district.

The gang members hailing from Mehsana owned a car which they used for the crime. The vehicle was meant for ferrying commuters who, after being taken to a deserted spot, would be robbed of their valuables. Of the accused, two would act as fellow passengers.

This way, the car always had just one seat for a real passenger, and whoever got in would be looted thus, said the cops.

"We have arrested Jitendra Joshi, 30, Jignesh Jani, 25, and Shankar Thakore, 21, on Saturday night. We acted on a tip-off received from Patan's local crime branch (LCB), and caught hold of the culprits. As of now, we have recovered most of the stolen valuables, but a car and some cell phones are yet to be recovered," said DS Solanki, sub inspector at the Sabarmati police station.

According to Solanki, the gang looted a person of Rs58,000. Besides explaining their modus operandi, he stated that they used to commence their journey from Subhash Bridge, and go on till they could rob a passenger at the deserted spot in Mehsana.

"The gang used to force their victims to reveal their ATM card's pin number, and they then used it to withdraw money. Investigations are on," Solanki added.