6 Interstate Pardi Gang Members Held Planning Sarafa Market Heist In Ratlam

Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Six members of an interstate Pardi gang were arrested in Ratlam on Saturday night while allegedly planning a robbery at Sarafa Market in Chandni Chowk.

The suspects, from Raisen, Ashoknagar and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh, were nabbed with weapons and burglary tools before they could carry out the crime.

Additional Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar Lal said Station Road police station in-charge Jitendra Singh Jadon received a tip-off on Saturday night about six to seven suspicious individuals near Panchpir Dargah and New Eidgah on Unkala Road.

They were reportedly carrying sharp weapons and planning to loot a major jewellery shop. Three teams were formed under CSP Satyendra Ghanghoria and, after laying a trap, police arrested all six shortly after midnight.

Items seized included a sword, faliya, gupti, crowbar, hydraulic cutter, slingshot, spanners, screwdrivers and a wooden club.

The arrested suspects were identified as Kailash, 56, and Vajood alias Angad, 29, both from Ashoknagar; Mehar Singh alias Nehariya, 60, Namesh alias Soldier, 20, and Prabhat alias Chetan, 27, all from Raisen; and Nikhil, 19, originally from Guna.

Police said multiple criminal cases were found against the suspects during verification of their records. Prabhat alias Chetan carries a bounty in connection with a major dacoity case in Nepanagar, Burhanpur and permanent absconder warrants are pending against him.

A Ratlam-based gang member, Dinesh Handa of Bajrang Nagar, who allegedly scouted the market, escaped under the cover of darkness and is being searched for.

Locals said they had spotted the gang moving through villages at night for three to four days and had alerted police. Residents had also been maintaining a night watch in the area.