
VADODARA, Feb 21: The Navapura police on Sunday arrested the last of the five-member gang, Purushottam Chagan Patel, a resident of Kolavada village in Mehsana district, who had looted cash and valuables worth Rs 1,05,000 from an agent of a city-based courier service in February 1997.
According to police inspector S R Chaudhary, Vinod Baldevbhai Patel, an employee of Madhavlal Maganlal Couriers was carrying a bag containing Rs 50,000 cash and valuables worth Rs. 55,000 and some documents to its Manjalpur office on February 20, 1997, when two scooter-borne persons intercepted him on Madanjhapa Road, snatched his bag and sped away.
While four persons had already been arrested, Purushottam who had been giving slips to the police was arrested on Sunday.
Held for cheating bank: In another case, the Navapura police recently arrested Amit Soni, a resident of Darshan Apartments in Naranpura of Ahmedabad, who was wanted in a case of cheating the Vadodara branch of the United Western Bank for Rs. 6.70 lakh. According to police, Soni prepared a bank draft worth Rs. 6.7 lakh from a stolen DD book of the Bandra Mumbai branch of the Bank of Punjab and gave it to Vasant Patel, one of his acquaintances, who resides in Nizampura.
Patel deposited the draft in his account in United Western Bank, opposite Krishna Talkies and got it encashed against a commission of Rs. 60,000 paid to the bank in July 1998.