4 history-sheeters nabbed in Thane, cops foil dacoity plan

Four history-sheeters, allegedly involved in multiple dacoity cases, were arrested on Wednesday before they could commit a similar offence which they were planning, while being out on parole.

The accused have been identified as gang leader Prem Singh alias Papu Singh, 51, Datta Vishu Patil, 30, Kundan Kumar Singh, 42, and Suraj Kumar Yadav, 19, the Thane crime branch unit 5 stated, adding that one of their accomplices managed to evade arrest.

They were nabbed acting on a tip-off received by Wagle Estate senior inspector Vikas Ghodke. The cop received input that the accused were planning dacoity in Thane and Karjat areas and will be meeting at Jalsa country bar in this regard.

"Soon after receiving the tip-off, we laid a trap and arrested the main accused Prem Singh alias Papu Singh and his four accomplices. They were planning dacoity at a farm house in Yeoor and Karjat,” Ghodke stated. Three country-made pistols, eight live cartridges and one bullet motorcycle were recovered from them, he added.

During the investigation, it came to fore Prem Singh is a history-sheeter and wanted in many offences. “We have filed a case against all five accused under various sections of Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act as well as the Maharashtra Police Act," the cop apprised.

He further said that Singh has been convicted for life in a murder case, and was lodged at the Kolhapur central jail. Recently, he was out on parole. While another accused, Datta Patil, has cases against him at the Kalwa police station, and was also out on bail. Their fifth aide managed to escape, taking cover of the night’s darkness.

“We are investigating further to ascertain how many more cases of robbery and dacoity they were involved in. And also to whom they were selling the weapons," Ghodke said, adding that they have been sent to police custody till May 18.