Gang involved in loot on highways busted, 5 arrested

Alok Mishra

Patna: With the arrest of five persons, Patna Police on January 27 claimed to have busted a gang involved in loot on different highways. Police also recovered 12 cellphones, Rs 7,000 looted cash, two chillums used for puffing ganja from the possession of the arrested persons, said Patna Senior SP (SSP) Mannu Maharaaj here on Friday.

The SSP had issued directives to all SDPOs and SHOs to launch a drive against criminals involved in cases of murder, highway loot, kidnapping and dacoity. He had been receiving inputs that a gang of truck looters were planning to commit some crime under Ramkrishna Nagar police station, Patna. He directed Ramkrishna Nagar ps SHO Ranjan Kumar to take action against the criminals.

The local police started collecting inputs about the gang and the cops came to know that gang leader Deepak Thathera was waiting for his associates at Nand Lal Chhapra on New Bypass. A police team reached there and arrested Deepak from there. Acting on the revelations made by him, police arrested four other members of the gang.

SSP said that during interrogation, the arrested persons revealed that the gang comprises 8-10 persons. They said that they had planned to loot a vehicle where they had assembled, the SSP said adding that the gang members used to  intercept vehicles at secluded places in Fatuha, Ramkrishna Nagar and Deedarganj and looted them at pistol  point. The SSP said that the gang members also threatened them with dire consequences if they dared raise an alarm. He said that the gang members used to conduct recce on their bikes and then pounced on their target. He said that the arrested persons also said that they had robbed a truck driver and a cleaner near a petrol outlet at Nand Lal Chhapra on January 25, 2017.

The arrested persons were identified as Deepak Thathera (Ramkrishna Nagar, Patna), Ravi Kumar (Alamganj, Patna), Rahul Kumar (Bhagvanganj, Patna), Rishi Kumar (Agamkuan, Patna) and Sonu Choudhary (Patrakarnagar, Patna).