THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police arrested four members of a gang that has been terrorising the residents of Kalpana Colony near Kazhakootam for the past several weeks, on Saturday.
The police identified the accused as Saju alias Koomban Saju, 29, Appukkuttan alias
Sachu
, 27, and Anshad alias Mookkuvetti Anshad alias Elumban Anshad, 28, of Chittattumukku near Menamkulam and Rajesh alias Kaala Rajesh, 29, of Canal Purampokku near Menamkulam.
They were arrested through a joint operation by Kazhakootam cyber city inspector’s team and city shadow police squad. Their arrests were recorded at Kazhakootam police station.The police said the four accused were nabbed from a hideout at
St Andrews
near
Thumba
. The cops were attacked by the gang wit h machetes durin gthe melee. They also threw crude explosives at the cops. However, the officers managed to apprehend the accused.
Kazhakootam cyber city inspector S Y Suresh said the accused were wanted in connection with as many as nine crime cases reported recently.
Among them, three cases pertains to attempted murder on certain persons, who reportedly tipped off the police. Four cases pertained to criminal assault and attempted murder over personal rivalry, one an armed robbery case and one was related to attacking police officers with explosives during an arrest bid.The gang used the deserted land between Kadinamkulam and Menamkulam as their hideouts, where they stocked up their weapons and also engaged in manufacturing crude bombs.
Saju is the leader of the gang and he was involved in a murder case recorded at Malayinkeezh police station i besides numerous other cases.
All the accused were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.