Kochi: A gang based in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, led by a notorious criminal Vikas Godaji Chauhan, is likely to be behind the armed robberies in Kochi city and Eroor in Tripunithura. The special squad of the Kochi Police reached this conclusion after examining the CCTV images and a detailed examination of the modus operandi. In his message to police officers under the Kochi range, IG P. Vijayan said the gang had earlier struck at Thiruvananthapuram when similar robberies were committed at Kannammoola and Tambaram in consecutive days. They have also committed robberies in Kannur, Kozhikode and Mangalore then.
The probe in that case finally led to the gang based at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. Usually the gang operates with eight to 11 personnel and target isolated houses by the side of railway tracks. They speak English, Hindi and Malayalam. They usually travel in train to commit the offenses and the gang uses only a single phone. They break the window bars in full from beneath and uses cellotapes and plastic coirs besides weapons during operation, the senior officer said in his message.
Though Vikas Chauhan was sent to gallows in that case with the help of Maharashtra police, the cops suspect he is out of jail now. "We've sent a team to Pune and the DGP has also written a letter seeking the help of Maharashtra police to bust the gang," sources said. The cops have also sought the help of Railway Police to monitor whether such gangs come by trains. "They used to strike and then flee using trains. We fear more similar attempt by the gang and have alerted cops across the state. The gang operated with the help of informers, mostly migrant labourers," sources said.
