Earlier this week, a gang of 13, allegedly impersonating the Enforcement Directorate (ED), conducted a fake raid at a jewelery firm and its owners’ homes in Gandhidham, Gujarat, and “seized” gold, silver and cash. More than 25 lakhs.
When the police arrived, the conspiracy was uncovered. Twelve of the 13 accused have been arrested so far, officials said Thursday.
Led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vikas Yadav, who is a probationary IPS officer, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Mukesh Chaudhary, several investigation teams were formed. Twelve accused, including a woman gang member, were arrested from Bhuj, Gandhidham and Ahmedabad within two days, while one is still absconding, officials said. A police statement on Thursday said the accused confessed to the crime after learning that the firm had earlier faced action from the Income Tax department.
The police also seized three cars and one two-wheeler used in the fake raid, along with gold biscuits, a bracelet, a mobile phone and a fake identity card. Those arrested are Bharat Shantilal Morwadia, Devayat Basu Khachhar, Abdulsattar Ishaq Thakkar, Vinod Ramesh Chudasama Manjethi, Hitesh Chatrabhuj Thakkar, Vinod Ramesh Chudasama, Eugene Augustine David, Ashish Rajesh Mishra, Chandraraj Mohan Nair, Ajay Deu Jagankumar, Chandraraj Mohan Nair, Ajay Shawkumar Raut. There are , Amit Kishore Mehta and his wife Nisha Amit Mehta. The thirteenth accused, still absconding, has been identified as Bipin Sharma, a resident of Ahmedabad.
Gandhidham “A Division” of Kutch (East) Police registered an FIR under BNS Sections 305 (theft), 204 (impersonating a public servant), and 61 (2) (a) (criminal conspiracy). Officials said one of the accused, Abdulsattar Ishaq Manjethi, was earlier booked by the Jamnagar police for murder and attempted murder by the Kutch (West) police in Bhuj.
Modus operandi
The statement of Kutch (East) SP Sagar Bagmar revealed that the accused Bharat Morwadia along with his friend Devayat Basu Khachhar had raided Radhika Jewelers by the Income Tax Department about five-six years ago and seized a large amount of gold, silver and It was believed that there was cash and assets of over Rs 100 crore with the firm’s owners.
Khachhar then conveyed this information to Abdulsattar Ishaq Manjethi and Manjethi roped in his friends Hitesh Thakkar and Vinod Chudasama and planned to pose as ED officials and raid the firm and its owners.
Then Devayat Khachhar, Abdulsattar Manjethi, Hitesh Thakkar and Vinod Chudasa met at a hotel near Adipur town and roped in Ashish Mishra from Ahmedabad, taking along his alias Chandraraj Nair.
The planning team reportedly brought in Ajay Dubey, Amit Mehta and his wife Nisha Mehta. They also brought Shailendra Desai, who worked in the office of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) in Ahmedabad of Western Railway (WR).
According to the police, Shailendra Desai used fake ED ID card to enter the firm and the house to steal the gang.