Irani gang behind loot cases, chief held in Mumbai

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17

The Ludhiana police have nabbed the kingpin of the gang whose members, posing as policemen, looted residents and traders from other states here recently. The accused was arrested from Mumbai.

The infamous Irani gang was behind the looting spree, as confirmed by the police. The kingpin has been identified as Bulldozer Irani.

The miscreants were reportedly inspired by Akshay Kumar-starrer Bollywood film “Special 26”. Several members of the gang, who had the same modus operandi, were also arrested by the police of other states.

Although the senior police officials are mum about the development, sources confirmed that the kingpin was arrested by a special police team, comprising more than a dozen personnel, from Irani Basti, Ambivali, about 50 km from Mumbai.

When the police team, along with their Mumbai counterparts, raided the locality, the kin of the gang members reportedly hurled stones and bricks at them. They even made their children lay in front of the police vehicles due to which the police had to struggle to arrest the accused.

Sources said only four members of the Irani gang were active in Ludhiana. The police team is still in Mumbai trying to find the remaining members of the gang.

Gang plan: One state target for one year

Sources said the gang had already targeted people in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan in the past, and now they were on the loot spree in Punjab. They would take their own sports motorcycles from Mumbai via trains to the target city and used to put up in guest houses or dhabas on outskirts.

Robberies perpetrated by gang in city

0n September 29, Chhattisgarh-based garment trader Jasraj was robbed of Rs 1.4 lakh by four motorcycle-borne persons posing as policemen. Half an hour later, Sharwan Kumar of Aligarh in MP, was looted of Rs 3.8 lakhs by four motorcycle-borne persons, also posing as policemen. On October 2, a Bihar trader was looted of Rs 57,000. On October 3, two motorcycle-borne persons, posing as policemen, duped an elderly woman of her gold ornaments worth lakhs in Rajguru Nagar, Ludhiana.

Stones, bricks hurled at raiding cops

When the police team, along with their Mumbai counterparts, raided the locality, the kin of the gang members hurled stones and bricks at them. They even made their children lay in front of the police vehicles. The police had to struggle to nab the accused.