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The central unit of the crime branch has busted an inter-district gang of seven people who kidnapped, cheated and robbed people after establishing contacts through Facebook ‘market place’. The accused posted ads to sell gold biscuits at discounted prices, fixed multiple meetings to finalise the deal and later delivered gold biscuits, only to have a few members fake-raiding the spot as ‘policemen’. During these purported raids, the gang abducted the customers and further robbed them of their cash.
The case was filed last month by Ravindra Ratanlal Chaudhary, 50, a jewellery store owner who was allegedly robbed of Rs 13 lakh cash after being promised 200gm gold biscuit. As per his complaint, Chaudhary was informed of the discounted sale by his friend Sunil Ingale, 51, who said the sellers would give Rs500 discount on every 10gm gold.
Chaudhary, who runs a store in Mulund, Ingale and another friend, Ratan Singh Rathod, decided to meet the seller on June 26 at Kharghar. Rathod, who was carrying the money, was abducted from the spot by the accused posing as cops. As per his complaint, he was assaulted and robbed.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Amit Kale said that crime branch’s central team in-charge, police inspector Sunil Shinde, formed three teams to probe the case. They traced the number plate of the motorbike used in the crime to a finance company, which had recovered from a person for non-repayment of loan. From the finance company, the police found the details of Raj alias Mohammad Galib Shaikh, 40, a resident of Kurla, who had bought the bike. After his arrest, the rest of the six accused were traced and nabbed. They have been identified as Vishal Tupe, 21, Rohit Shelar, 26, Nilesh Bange, 26, Shivaji Chikane, 36, Vishal Chorge, 36, and Diler Khan, 46.
It has been found that the gang has committed similar crimes in Govandi, Sanpada, Panvel and Bhiwandi. The members have been handed over to the Kharghar police till July 12.
