JOIN USGang from AP loots over Rs 6 crore in 30 months
Bangalore is a soft target for attention divert cases and umpteen people after drawing money from the banks have fallen prey for this gang’s tricks. Bangalore East Division police cracked the case and arrested five persons --- Raju Bellary (24), Jeevan (30), Jyothiprakash (28) Kanti (28) Suvarna Latha (28), while more than 25 persons are still at large. The gang hails from Bitragunta village in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh.
The police believe that the gang was involved in more than 200 cases in the city. On Tuesday, Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari, while showering praises on DCP East BK Singh, said: “We were able to recover only Rs 10 lakh in this case but the investigation is on and in a month or two, we will able to do justice".
The 25-member gang breaks into teams of six, including a woman in each team. Two motorcycles are used while one will be inside the bank and another (woman) will be hanging around the gate. The other four on different bikes wearing full faced helmets will be stationed outside. After identifying the person drawing huge cash, they signal to their counter parts.
They follow a distance and then, play various tricks to divert the person’s attention. They have various techniques in store, like diverting their victim’s attention to a punctured car tyre, overflowing oil, smoke from car bonnet, and more. Sometime, they spit biscuit powder on the victims’ shirt and pretend to help to clean, or ram a bike into the victim’s car and pick up a fight. Throwing Rs 10 notes on the ground and inviting the victim’s attention is another ploy.
Main accused
Jeevan, the main accused was into illicit liquor business in Mumbai. During 2007, 22 people died in a liquor tragedy and he was forced to leave the place and land in Bangalore. He roped in his relatives from Andhra Pradesh and expanded the business. They hired half-a-dozen houses in different parts of the city and lived in style. They were well dressed and moved in different bikes.
The gang was interested only in cash and never harmed anyone. Another gang from Ramajinagar near Trichy in Tamil Nadu also had the same modus operandi, according to police.
Sources said, the gang members built palatial houses in their hometown fitted with all modern gadgets and moved around in high end cars. They had bank accounts in almost all the leading banks in the country. They had even contributed huge sums for the construction of a Church in Andhra Pradesh.
The police are finding it tough sorting out the bank statements and details of the gang’s fixed deposit receipts.