Chaddi gang keeps police on toes

The police has increased the frequency of patrolling and round ups in North Mumbai Zone 11, from Goregaon to Borivali, after four members of the infamous ‘chaddi baniyan’ aka ‘kachcha baniyan’ gang were arrested in the early hours of Monday in an encounter with the police.

The police has met members of a few vulnerable societies and told them to install CCTV cameras and alarms. According to a senior police official, apart from the four persons who were nabbed on Monday, there are a few more people from this gang who are active and officials intend to arrest them too. For this officials are vigilantly patrolling in the area between 1 am to 5 am, as they have observed that the modus operandi of the gang is to operate between 2 am to 4 am. The gang is named ‘chaddi baniyan’ gang because its members attack wearing only underclothes and a mask on their faces.

The gang attempt to rob the societies that don’t have CCTV cameras or security guards. According to the police sources, the gang mainly targets buildings that are near marshlands or surrounded with wild grass as it is easy for them to hide in such areas after the crime. Earlier the gang members used to reveal their faces but as more societies are using CCTVs now, they have started wearing masks. When they come across security cameras they prefer to break it, said a senior police official.

Earlier, on Monday morning following a six-hour operation Borivali police nabbed four people belonging to the gang. The accused were produced in court which remanded them in police custody till February 15.

Meanwhile, since the arrest of the quartet, officials from various police stations and crime branch unit are visiting Borivali police station as they believe the gang may have struck in their areas too. But, a source has informed The Asian Age that the four accused are not cooperating in police investigation.