Braveheart hawker chases, nabs robber

Three robbers were arrested late on Monday for robbing Rs2.75 lakh worth of raw gold from a manufacturing unit in Bhuleshwar and injuring two workers.

Their three accomplices are absconding.
The arrested persons have been identified as Bappa Shaman Dhara, 18, Saddam Hussain Shaukatali, 19, and kingpin Ranjan Kanchan Adhikari alias Munna, 29.

The police said the gang had purchased three choppers, a toy-gun and a knife from Andheri on Monday evening and reached Bhuleshwar by 9 pm. After waiting for an hour, they entered a first floor unit of Devji Building at Panchayat Wadi with weapons.

“They started threatening the workers and were holding them hostage at knife-point. Panicking, one of the 12 workers, Tapash Patra, jumped off from the nearby window of the room. When two other workers — Kamaluddin Shaikh and Ramdin Modi — tried to resist, the robbers assaulted them,” said senior inspector Arun Borude of LT Marg police station.

Borude said the robbers fled with the gold after the workers raised an alarm.

“The robbers were fleeing, keeping passers-by from intervening by threatening them with the choppers. Rajesh Patel, a hawker, chased them for almost a kilometre and caught Dhara. Dhara assaulted him with a knife. Meanwhile, the police were informed and we arrested Dhara,” added Borude.

Deputy commissioner of police, Zone II, Anil Kumbhare said that the police received a tip-off about Shaukatli and Adhikari. “After the incident, the duo went to a bar in Grant Road and were discussing the incident. Their conversation was overheard by a person who also works in a gold unit at the same building.

He informed a constable from LT Marg police station,” Kumbhare said.

Inspector Shrikant Desai said, “Rs70,000 worth of gold has been recovered. The trio has been remanded to police custody till October 6 by a local court.”

“Patel and Shaikh were taken to GT hospital and operated upon. Shaikh is critical,” Desai added.
Kumbhare added, “It is an exemplary and daring effort on part of Patel and the person who tipped off the police. It is because of them that the police could act immediately and make arrests in the case.”