Ahilyanagar police nab five for robbing Samruddhi motorists

Nashik: The Ahilyanagar police have arrested five men and detained a minor for allegedly carrying out multiple robberies on the Samruddhi expressway on the night of May 27, targeting tanker trucks and private vehicles.

The five accused men were produced before a court, which remanded them to three-day police custody. The police said further probe is underway to ascertain if the gang was involved in other highway robberies.

According to the police, a group of seven to eight men first intercepted a diesel tanker, assaulted the driver and siphoned off fuel along with cash worth over Rs 7,000. The same group then stopped a car carrying a couple and robbed them of cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.2 lakh. They later targeted another truck, looting cash and diesel worth Rs 18,000.

Acting under the guidance of SP Mummaka Sudarshan, the local crime branch, led by inspector Kiran Kabadi, began tracking the accused. The police said two suspects, including a juvenile, were first detained from Jalna.

“After they confessed to the crimes, they also gave the names of their other five associates in the crime,” the police said.

Based on their interrogation, five more accused were arrested on Monday. The arrested suspects further named three other accomplices involved in the robberies.

Police have seized two cars and six mobile phones used in the crime.

Officials said efforts are on to trace the remaining accused and verify links to other similar offences on the expressway.