Mumbai: The Thane Police Crime Branch in the early hours of Saturday foiled an attempt to rob a bank on Ghodbunder Road, arresting eight people. While four were nabbed trying to break into the bank, the four others were picked up in Nashik.
According to Crime Branch officers, they received a tip-off on Friday night that the Bank of Maharashtra branch was going to be robbed the same night. “Our team saw a man standing outside the bank. A search revealed a country made gun in his pocket and he was taken into custody. Even as our team was searching the man, a Maruti Swift parked across the street sped away,” said an officer.
The police sent out a wireless alert and circulated its licence plate number. The team also noticed that the shutter of a driving school office adjacent to the bank had been forced open. “When our team entered the office, they found three more accused in the process of making a hole in the wall using hammers. The trio were taken to the Crime Branch headquarters for interrogation,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, another team was sent to Nashik as the car sped away in that direction. The Thane police coordinated with their Nashik counterparts and nakabandis were put in place.
“The Maruti Swift, with four accused inside, was intercepted at Ghoti and our team brought them to Thane. They were carrying gas cutters used to open safes in banks and gas cylinders to power the cutters,” said another officer.
The accused have been identified as Sakim Sheikh (33), who was acting as a lookout outside the bank; Shahjahan Sheikh (47), Mohammad Sheikh (21) and Fazlu Sheikh (35), who were trying to make a hole; and Maqsood Sheikh (24), Reza-ul Sheikh (31), Saifuddin Sheikh (38) and Jugnu Sheikh (25), who were detained in Ghoti.
The accused were charged with preparation to robbery under the Indian Penal Code and were remanded in police custody till Sunday after being produced in a Holiday Court on Saturday afternoon. The police have also found out that the Maruti Swift was reported stolen from Kalwa on Friday night, and a complaint was registered.
