Mumbai: Notorious MCOCA criminal arrested from Satara 15 years after robbery spree

Fifteen years after evading the police dragnet, a notorious criminal was arrested by the central crime branch unit of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) from a village in Satara on Tuesday.

Iron Rod-Wielding Gang Involved in Multiple Armed Robberies

Armed with iron rods, the suspect, identified as Teacher Bandya Kale, and his accomplices had barged into the tenement of Kashinath Choudhary on August 21, 2008. They assaulted him and his wife before fleeing with gold ornaments worth Rs 17,000. It was later discovered that Kale and his gang had committed similar armed robberies in the region. As a result, the police had registered cases against him under relevant sections of the IPC and also filed cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Six members of the gang had previously been arrested.

Reopening of Unsolved Cases Leads to Arrest After Month-Long Pursuit

During a review of unsolved cases, the crime branch team, led by Police Inspector Rahul Rakh and supervised by DCP Avinash Ambure, decided to reopen the investigation into this matter. Using their informant network and technical surveillance, the team, in collaboration with local authorities in Satara, apprehended Kale from Lalgun village in the Pusegaon taluka of Satara. "It took more than a month for us to track his location. Our team camped in the village for three days before arresting him," said Police Inspector Rahul Rakh.

Kale a Member of the Pardhi Tribe

Kale is reported to be a member of the nomadic Pardhi tribe. Preliminary investigations have revealed his involvement in three cases of armed dacoities and two cases under MCOCA, which were filed against him in 2009 and 2012. Further investigations are currently underway.