Eight-member gang nabbed, cops claim to solve 25 cases

With the arrest of eight members of a gang from Andhra Pradesh, the Pune police crime branch unit III sleuths claimed to have solved 25 thefts including several cases where windshields of cars were broken and valuables stolen.

The police said the gang members would loiter near banks prying on people withdrawing huge amounts, follow them and rob them.
The gang members would live in rented rooms at Nighoje village in Chakan MIDC area and come to the city to operate. The police say the gang struck in areas under the jurisdiction of 12 police stations over the last six months.

The arrested people include Salmanraj Presangi Aakula (22), Raju Prasad Kunchala (40), Rajesh Jemish Gogla (19), Sunil Manohar Kunchala (24), Yohan Prasad Gudetti (30), Chinna Babu Kunchala (26), Suresh Ramallu Gudetti (26) and Viraswami Venkatyaa Mekhala (49).

All the arrested people are residents of Nellur village in Andhra Pradesh.

The arrests were made by a team led by senior police inspector Sunil Pawar, which laid a trap at Thermax Chowk in Chinchwad on Friday night on a tip-off.

The police seized Rs4.5 lakh, pouches of glucose biscuits, oil pouch, equipment used to break vehicles windshields, 15 stolen bags, 17 mobile phones and 28 SIM cards totally worth Rs6 lakh from the arrested people.

Pawar said, “The gang members would loiter in the parking spaces of various banks in the city. One of them would go inside the bank posing as a customer and pry on customers withdrawing huge amounts. When such a customer stepped out with the money, he would signal the gang members standing in the parking lot. They would follow the victim and rob him.”

According to Pawar, “The gang members used various modus operandi to rob the victims. At times, they would spill oil under his car and tell him that the oil had leaked from the car. Thus they would divert his attention and steal the bag containing the money.

At times they would chew biscuits and spit on the clothes of the unsuspecting victims. Then they would divert the victim’s attention saying his clothes had got soiled and stole bags containing the money. At times, they would break windshields of parked cars and steal bags containing money and other valuables kept inside.”

Pawar said, “After stealing the cash, the gang members would dash off to their rooms where they would divide the money among themselves. The money would be sent to their home towns immediately using facilities like money transfer and money order.” The police claimed that they have seized iron rods, knives and screw drivers which have been used while committing crime in the city.