VIJAYAWADA: Police have allegedly arrested four persons belonging to the notorious Chaddi gang in Dahod district of Gujarat on Tuesday. The development comes as investigation is being carried out into a series of robberies reported in the city over the past two weeks where the role of the alleged Chaddi gang members is suspected.
Highly placed sources in the department confirmed the arrest of four persons who are suspected to have committed the crimes in the city. They are reportedly being brought to Vijayawada on Prisoner Transit (PT) warrant.
The gang members have committed four crimes in the last two weeks - three in Vijayawada and one in Tadepalli of Guntur district. Following the incidents, city police formed special teams to nab the accused. The teams traced their movements using hi-tech technology and CCTV camera footage. They also conducted joint operations with police in Dahod district, Gujarat.
Upon learning about the modus operandi of the accused, city police figured that the gangs hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. “Immediately, city police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata formed special teams comprising of Central Crime Station (CCS), Law and Order and Task Force. We then communicated with our counterparts in those states and collected information about the active groups. During our investigation, we came to know that a few gangs which operate in a similar fashion are actively striking houses in Gujarat. So, we contacted the local police there and sought their cooperation. Based on the information, we successfully arrested four persons from one of the gangs,” a senior official on the condition of anonymity said.
The gang committed their first crime in an apartment near CVR Flyover under II-Town police station limits on November 30. They then striked another apartment in Guntupalli. However, their plan was not successful as the house owner raised an alarm after he heard some noise while they were entering into the apartment.
Two days later, the gang tried to burgle residences of MLAs at Rainbow Villas in Navodaya Colony in Tadepalli, just a few metres away from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s residence. “We are assuming that two or three gangs have arrived to the city and are striking houses in isolated colonies after conducting a recce. They choose areas close to national highways and railway tracks so that they can easily escape from the city. Only after interrogating them, we will be able to obtain more details about the other gang members and their operations,” the official added.
When TNIE contacted Vijayawada city police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata, he was unavailable to comment.
Police conduct public outreach programmes
Vijayawada city police officials are conducting public outreach programmes through Cheruva vehicles to educate people about the Chaddi Gang. They are also creating awareness on the preventive measures that should be taken to prevent any untoward incidents.