The crime branch unit (Zone III) attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police foiled an armed dacoity bid at a fuel pump near Shirsad Phata in Virar last week. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by police inspector- Pramod Badhaaakh laid a trap and managed to nab six people including a woman after a scuffle.
The gang's kingpin has been identified as Manish Mohan Chavhan alias Raju. He and his accomplices Bhausaheb Shankar Gawli, Ravindra Singh Sukhram Solanki, Sukhchain Rewat Pawar, Nandu Chavhan alias Monty and Ashwini Roopchand Chavhan are members of the inter-state Pardhi gang.
Crimes committed in various states
The accused hailed from Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Guna in Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh police had announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for providing the whereabouts of Sukhchain Rewat Pawar. Apart from impounding a Scorpio and an auto rickshaw, the police recovered an iron sickle, knife, nylon ropes, chilli powder, battery-powered torches, cash and gold ornaments – all worth more than Rs 10 lakh.
An offence under the Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act has been registered at the Virar police station against the accused.
"Sustained interrogations not only revealed the involvement of the gang members in more than two dozen crimes including armed dacoities, murder and attempt to murder committed by them in various parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, but also led to the arrest of their other accomplices identified as Akash Shivaji Pawar, Gopal Devidas Pawar, Mohan Juju Kale, Umesh Devidas Pawar and Anita Devidas Pawar- all natives of Hotgi village in Solapur who were earlier involved in house-break-ins and theft cases in the coastal area of Arnala near Virar." said police inspector Pramod Badhaakh.
All the accused have been remanded to police custody till 12, January. Further investigations were underway.
Gang killed Dubai hotelier in Thane in 2019
The kingpin of the gang Chavhan was involved in the murder of a 48-year-old businessman Suresh Munaje who ran a hotel in Dubai. The hotelier was allegedly murdered at his bungalow in Shahapur in July 2019. Although his six accomplices were arrested, Chavhan remained elusive for more than two years and was finally nabbed and sent to jail in 2021. After stepping out from jail on bail in September 2023, he re-organised his gang and started committing crimes, said an official.
