Robbery accused on run for 28 years held in Kashimira
After remaining elusive for 28 years, a 59-year-old man, allegedly involved in a series of robbery cases, was arrested by the officials of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police on Wednesday.
Ramesh Ishwarlal Solanki had earned notoriety by leading a pickpocket gang, which used to steal valuables from passengers of crowded buses in Kashimira. Several offences were registered at the Kashimira police station against the gang in 1996. While two members Mohammed Khaleel Shaikh and Ejaz Gulam Shaikh were arrested by the erstwhile Thane (rural) police, Solanki was absconding.
Recently, the central crime detection unit attached to the MBVV police got a vital clue regarding Solanki’s whereabouts. A team, after receiving specific input, apprehended Solanki from the Penkarpada area of Kashimira on Monday evening.
“With sketchy clues about the appearance of the fugitive in the nearly three-decade-old cases, our team had kept a close eye on Solanki’s movements for several days before apprehending him,” said a senior police officer.
Investigations revealed that Solanki had continued with his criminal activities by committing thefts under the jurisdictions of police stations including Navghar, Malad, Andheri, Kandivali, CSMT (railway), Surat (railway) and Valsad (railway) between 2017 and 2022. Meanwhile, offences under section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against Solanki whose custody has been handed over to the Kashimira police station for further investigations.