Jhabua police on Friday nabbed one Akram Vakhala, an infamous ‘rapi’ gang kingpin with a history of 33 highway robbery and loot case registered. Before, police had already arrested other gang members including Naharsingh, Mukesh, Diwan, Kaliya, Tarsingh, Daru, Dhanna, but the mastermind was ambushed.
Jhabua superintendent of police Vinit Jain informed that the gang was involved in highway loot and robbery on the national and state highway since past 12 years. Akram of Machliya village and his gang were involved in as many 33 cases. Police department had announced a total reward of Rs 80,000 on Akram.
SP Jain informed that acting on a special tip-off; police raided a place on the bank of Sonar River and arrested him.
SP Jain while informing about gang’s modus operandi said gang operates at deserted places on highways and normally targets four-wheelers or loaded trucks crossing the highway.
They used spread sharp-edged pebbles, nails and stones on parts of highways during night hours in order to catch them," he said.
“As the heavily-loaded trucks would move over the stones, their tyres gets punctured,” adding “while the driver and co-driver would replace the tyres, the gang members, sitting ambushed, would threaten them with weapons and loot them.”
Not only in Jhabua or Dhar, the many cases have been registered against the ‘rapi’ gang in Indore, Sehore and Rajasthan.
