Teen gang with swords, chilli powder nabbed

NAGPUR: Alert Ajni police seem to have averted some serious crime on Monday night. Their detection branch nabbed five teenagers, including a Standard XII student, armed with swords. One gang member managed to slip away. Police also found chilli powder and a rope with them.
Cops feel the size of the gang and big swords they were carrying indicated they might be out to eliminate someone.Police are expecting to learn more about them, their modus operandi and targets during the interrogation. The 19-year-olds have been remanded in custody up to August 4.
"This was a gang of freshers as they seem not to have any criminal records. Someone may have roped in these youths to kill somebody," a cop part of the action team said. Police have registered an offence of preparation of dacoity against the five culprits under Section 399 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Arms Act.
An informer had told the police that half a dozen youngsters had assembled at Omkar Nagar and appeared to be planning a crime. The source had said that the youngsters had swords which they were stacking in an autorickshaw. The preparation was going on in dar area of an open ground. Police team under sub-inspector SB Deshmukh comprising head constable Dharmendra Sarode, constables Waman Thomre, Ravishankar Mishra, Manish Dhurve and others rushed to the place.
The gang was taken aback on seeing the police. The youngsters started to flee but police team pinned them down. Police said those arrested were identified as Mukesh Patil, Shaikh Salman, Akash Chavan, Akshay Ghadge and Akhilesh Waghmare. Police said Waghmare is a student while the rest are casual workers.
Police recovered swords kept concealed in the autorickshaw. Police have seized the autorickshaw.
In July, Ajni police intervened as gang war was about to erupt near Wanjari Nagar water tank. Police had then recovered around eight swords and a country-made revolver with five live cartridges apart from other sharp weapons. Recently, a gang of rickshaw drivers had abducted two labourers from Madhya Pradesh from Panchsheel square before robbing and stoning them to death.