MAPUSA: The Crime Branch and Anjuna police in a major joint operation arrested a gang of five contract killers at Arpora, involved in three murder cases and wanted by the Maharashtra police in a murder case reported at Satara, a fortnight ago.
The gang was nabbed while they were attempting to flee the country via Goa.
According to information obtained, on January 24, the Satara Taluka Police Station had registered a case against five gang members under Section 302 and 506 (i i) read with 34 IPC and under Section 25 of Arms Act for murdering Amit Bhosle at Wade Phata, Satara in Maharashtra. The accused are contract killers and were hired to kill Bhosle.
After committing a murder at Satara, the gang escaped to different areas to misguide the police. They were planning to flee from the country for which they assembled in Goa. The Crime Branch team under Police Inspector Laxi Amonkar along with Anjuna police arrested them.
On Friday, after the North Goa police received credible information that the accused involved in the crime are hiding in the jurisdiction of Anjuna Police Station. Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan immediately formed two teams led by Police Inspector Prashal Dessai of Anjuna Police Station and PI Amonkar of Crime Branch, who conducted joint operation and traced a Mahindra Bolero jeep bearing registration number MH-11-Y-5196 at Arpora and detained the five accused.
The accused have been identified as Suraj Dnyaneshwar Kadam (26), a native of Khed, Satara; Abhishek Vilas Chatur (27) of Nandgiri, Koregaon, Satara; Shubham Hindurag Chatur (27) of Chikli, Pune; Raju Bhimrao Pawar (26) of Pantagighat, Satara and Sachin Ramesh Chawan (29) of Gotawade, Pune.
The Goa Police have informed their counterparts at Satara about the arrest of the accused and to take them into their custody.