MADURAI: A 26-member gang that is believed to have been involved in burglaries at homes of affluent persons across Tamil Nadu was busted by the district police here on Monday.
The gang was nabbed by special teams formed after the house of a retired government doctor was burgled at gun-point in Melur earlier this month. Of the 26 persons nabbed, four persons in connection with the burglary were remanded and two pistols and Rs.32 lakhs were recovered from them.
Earlier on December 6, a six-member gang of masked men forced entry into the house of a retired government doctor Baskaran, a resident of Gandhiji Park Road in Melur while he was out for a morning walk by holding the watchman as hostage. Threatening to kill the watchman, the gang obtained the keys of the lockers and tied up the doctor's wife Meera, the maid and the watchman at gun point and locked them in a room.
The gang then fled from the scene after looting Rs. 5 lakhs in cash and a mobile worth Rs.15,000. Following the incident, a case was registered in Melur police station and four special teams were formed by the Superintendent of Police N Manivannan to nab those involved.
According to police sources, the special teams zeroed in on A Ganapathi (37), a resident of A Thottiapatti near Thirumangalam, after the car used in the burglary was traced based on CCTV footage.
During investigation, it was revealed that Ganapathi, believed to be the gang's head, was reportedly part of a wide network of burglars who had burgled homes of affluent persons especially businessmen and doctors, sources said.
Based on his confession, 25 others who were part of his gang were arrested on Monday when they reached Madurai from Chennai. Sources stated that the gang usually divides the loot from across Tamil Nadu in Thirumangalam.
The Superintendent of Police said that of the 26 persons nabbed, four men namely Ganapathi, M Marimuthu (43), P Ramesh (34) both from Thirumangalam and S Radhakrishnan (39) from Perungudi, were remanded on Monday in connection with the burglary in Melur.
He added that Ganapathi had four cases pending on him in several places and that Rs. 32 lakhs, a car and two guns were seized from those nabbed. Manivannan told that further investigation is underway and that the arrests would continue on Tuesday. Ends