Nashik/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Nashik rural police have arrested a gang of seven men operating on the Samruddhi Expressway targeting travellers at specific blind spots.
On Tuesday, Nashik rural police arrested seven people who had robbed an advocate of Rs 18 lakh in cash, jewellery and other articles. When the driver stopped the vehicle, around 12 unidentified men ambushed him and his family. Nashik superintendent of police D S Swami said 10 different teams worked on the case and based on detailed technical analysis, inspection of the crime scene and CCTV footage around the expressway traced the suspects to Dharashiv. In another incident, Vaijapur police from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar registered an FIR against unidentified people for allegedly robbing a gold chain of a driver of an SUV on Aug 26. Based on technical investigation and available information, the Vaijapur police were able to identify all the accused in the crime within just 24 hours, and one of them has been arrested.
The gang identified spots without CCTV coverage and plotted the robbery, according to the police. When the advocate was crossing the Maldhon area under the Wavi police station, he was forced to slow down as the vehicle went over some objects on the road, according to the investigation. The lawyer was travelling from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Mumbai. The police have confiscated the two cars used in the crime.
The police identified their modus operandi of removing registration number plates, forcing the vehicles to slow down before the robbery. The accused was produced before the local court and has sent to police custody till Wednesday
The gang assaulted the family members and forcibly robbed them of the cash and valuables. The suspects also blocked other oncoming vehicles, severely beat up the occupants with wooden sticks and forcefully robbed them of cash before fleeing.