Highway robbers,who ‘hired’ boy to trap drivers,held

In a joint operation early on Tuesday morning,the local Crime Branch and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Dahod police arrested two members,including the teenager,of the gang from near the village.

However,the rest of the members of the gang escaped,taking advantage of tall grass in a nearby jungle,police said.

“The boy would stand on the highway and request drivers to stop. As soon as the driver would slow down,the rest of the members would throw a barrage of stones and sticks and later loot the driver. They would especially target lone bikers and truckers,” Dahod Crime Branch police inspector Mahesh Solanki said on Wednesday.

The gang operated near Kadi Talai village as vehicles had to cut their speed due to a diversion created for expansion work of the road.

“During primary interrogation,the boy has claimed that he was hired by the gang at a salary of around Rs 5,000 per month to assist in robberies,” Solanki further said.

The boy is a resident of Kamboi village in Dahod taluka of the district and has passed his SSC exam. The other arrested member of the gang was identified as Pravin Ninama (21),a resident of Matva village in Garbada taluka.

“The arrested duo have confessed to have committed at least 10 robberies recently,” Dahot taluka police sub-inspector A M Prajapati,who is investigating the case,said. Ninama had earlier been booked in cases of thefts.

Police also recovered a motorbike and a mobile phone from the gang.

Dahod police inspector D K Bhoi said they were trying to know if the gang could be booked under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulatoin) Act 1986 for allegedly employing the minor boy.

Dahod taluka police were to produce the arrested duo before a court late on Wednesday.