Mira-Bhayandar: MBVV Cops Nab Dacoit Gang Leader From Hingoli After 16 Years

More than 16 years after committing an armed dacoity at a gold ornaments showroom in Nallasopara, the kingpin of the organised gang was finally arrested by the central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar -Vasai Virar (MBVV) police from Hingoli on Friday. 

The crime dates back to 24, February, 2008, when Janardhan Ramrao Waghmare alias Janya and his accomplices entered Sargam Gold- an ornaments showroom located in the Topaz Shopping Centre in Nallasopara east- under the guise of buying jewellery at around 10:30 am.

The dacoits terrorised the owner by whipping out a revolver and chopper and locked him in an adjoining cabin before decamping with gold ornaments and a mobile phone collectively worth Rs.60.10 lakh. An offence under the relevant sections of the IPC for dacoity and sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act was registered at the Nallasopara police station against six accused.

While five members of the gang including three women identified as-Bayanabai Waghmare, Kusum Korde, Indubai Lombde, Vasant Mhatre and Dilip Roda were arrested, Janardhan alias Janya had remained absconding. Shouldered with the task of digging-out old cases in which the criminals had not been arrested, the central crime branch team led by police inspector- Rahul Raakh and PSI-Hitendra Vichare started re-investigations.

The teams activated their core informer network and scanned the database of criminals. After a relentless month-long probe, PSI Vichare learnt about Janardhan’s presence in Hingoli district. A team immediately left for Hingoli and apprehended Janardhan (43) from Bhandegaon village with the help of their local counterparts. Apart from his involvement in 13 serious offences including- armed dacoity, robbery and attempt to murder in Hingoli, Nanded and Amravati, investigations revealed that Janardhan and his gang had committed an armed dacoity in Mira Road in 2007.  

Convicted Under MCOCA In 2014

Janardhan and his gang members had been booked and convicted under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act, 1999 (MCOCA) on 5, August, 2014 by the special judge (MCOCA) Amravati after they were found guilty of committing an armed dacoity at a gold ornament showroom in the Jai-Stambh Square area of Amravati in August-2010 and decamped with gold jewellery worth Rs.50 lakh using a similar modus-operandi. Citing their poor financial condition and liability to maintain their families, their lawyers had moved the high court and later the supreme court seeking a lenient view for reduction of sentence.