Malad murders: 4Pardhis held

MUMBAI, November 5: Four Fasse-Pardhi tribesmen, allegedly involved in the brutal triple murder at Malad west yesterday, were arrested by...

MUMBAI, November 5: Four Fasse-Pardhi tribesmen, allegedly involved in the brutal triple murder at Malad west yesterday, were arrested by the Santacruz police this afternoon. Constables Ravi Shinde and Anil Karal and the watchman of Pawanbaug Co-operative Housing Society, Bahadur Singh, were killed when they tried to stop a gang of robbers from escaping after burgling a flat.

Police Commissioner Ronald Mendonca said the four suspects 8211; autorickshaw driver Namdeo Sada Shinde 30, Sahebrao Kale, Suresh Shankar Pawar and Subbarao Devrao 8211; were picked up during combing operations at Santacruz this afternoon. Some of the valuables stolen from the third floor flat of Lalit Jain at Pawanbaug Society have been recovered from them. However, police are still looking for the weapons used by the gang.

Joint Commissioner of Police Crime Ranjit Singh Sharma said the gang had drawn a plan to commit a series of robberies when they met at gangmember Namdeo Shinde8217;s house at Berhambaug, Oshiwara recently. The Malad society, which was their third target in the night, was selected after Shinde8217;s wife had carried out reconnaissance of Pawanbaug Society and found the third floor flat of Lalit Jain locked.

In a meticulously planned operation the gang first threatened the watchmen of the society and removed his uniform. One of the gangmen quickly slipped into the khakis and stood guard at the gate, while others broke into Jain8217;s house. Around this time a police sub-inspector made enquiries with the robber dressed as a watchman, who told him that he had joined duty only a few days back. There were no more questions and the cop left. Minutes after, when the robbers emerged out of the building with the booty, the watchman, Bhahadur Singh, in a rare show of courage intercepted them once again. The robbers assaulted him with choppers and iron rods. His cries for help attracted the attention of two policemen on rounds. However, when they tried to rescue the watchman they too were attacked and injured seriously.

They gangmen smashed their heads with heavy boulders before leaving.

Mendonca said they are trying to establish the link between the Malad robbery and the aborted attempt at Goregaon. Mendonca said patrolling in the city has been intensified and added that patrolling parties will now be provided with revolvers, muskets and walkie-talkies.