BENGALURU: In yet another clash between the police and criminals, a team from the Nandini Layout and Bagalgunte police stations, opened fire at two notorious chain snatchers, said to be members of the dreaded Bhavaria gang, to nab them. The gang is widely believed to use sex workers to rob unsuspecting people, besides indulging in chain snatching.
According to the police, the two gang members, Karan Singh (24) and Surendra Gupta (26), attacked the police when they chased them. The special team that was formed to nab the duo, managed to corner them near Soladevanahalli based on a tip-off. They were then asked to surrender but they attacked the police with knives.
A police sub-inspector reportedly opened fire at them in self-defence, injuring both accused in the process. They were then arrested and admitted to a private hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, sub-inspector Prabhu and probationary sub-inspector Raja Saab, along with constables Ganesh and Prakash, injured in the standoff, were also treated for their injuries.
N Shashikumar DCP (North) said that Singh and Gupta, natives of New Delhi, had come to the city and committed two robberies last month and returned. After selling the jewellery, they returned to Bengaluru and purchased a new Pulsar bike and started chain snatching.
They took a two bedroom house on rent near Bagalagunte along with two women and told the house owner that they had come to the city from Delhi for medical treatment for their mother. One of the women posed as their mother, in need of treatment.
Police investigations revealed that the accused would snatch chains in the morning and would shift to robbing people at night by springing honey traps at isolated places. “The accused paid sex workers and made them stand at roadsides on the outskirts of the city Whoever approached these women, was taken to an isolated place where the duo followed and robbed them of their valuables,” Shashikumar said.
However, their luck ran out when a woman, who they tried to rob at the same time as a man at MS Ramaiah Layout, managed to escape and call the police control room. More than 20 chain snatchings and robberies were reported in Bagalagunte, Peenya, Soladevanahalli and Tumkur and NICE Road, the officer added.
Trigger-happy cops
May 18, 2019: Ashoknagar police shot at Vinod, a rowdy who attacked a constable in a bid to escape arrest at on Bannerghatta Road. He had stabbed two painters on May 14.
April 12, 2019: Rajagopalnagar police opened fire at a rowdy sheeter Sachin, 22, at Nandini Layout. Sachin with other two accused, Karthik and Hitesh, had killed their rival Narasimha March 30, 2019: KS Layout police had opened fire at Pyscho Raja in Konanakunte. He had earlier escaped after killing ATM security guard Lingappa on March 24.
March 28, 2019: An inspector from Nandini Layout police station shot at rowdy sheeter Muniraju alias Munna (24) after the latter attacked a constable to escape. March 5, 2019: A murder accused Lokesh (24), was shot by Bellandur police who went to Tamil Nadu to arrest him. When cops took him for spot inspection he tried to escape by attacking head constable Ravishankar.
January 28, 2019: Yeshwanthpur police had opened fire at a notorious rowdy sheeter Gautham, (22), after he attacked two constables with a machete while trying to evade arrest near RMC Yard. He was involved in seven criminal cases.
December 12, 2018: Two Bangladeshi dacoits were shot at and arrested by KR Puram police near Whitefield railway station. Accused Muneer (38) and Milan, (27) attacked two policemen with a dagger in a bid to escape.
April 1, 2018: Thalaghattapura police had opened fire at rowdy sheeter Paramesh alias Parmi (31), and his associate Santhosh alias Dombi (28), to arrest them. In that week, it was the third incident of police firing at criminals.