Ahmedabad Angadia Robbery: Three More Arrested in Himachal, Police Recover Assets Worth ₹28 Lakh

Three more people have been arrested in Himachal Pradesh in connection with the abduction of an Angadia employee and the robbery of ₹34 lakh by men posing as GST officials on the Odhav overbridge in Ahmedabad on October 21.

The arrests were made by the Zone-8 Local Crime Branch (LCB) and the Ahmedabad Crime Branch with assistance from Himachal Pradesh Police. The accused have been identified as Vishwajeet Goswami, Vikas Bhardwaj and Amit Shemadiya alias Gohil. Police said they recovered assets worth more than ₹28 lakh, including a newly purchased Maruti Suzuki Brezza, an iPhone and cash.

The arrests followed leads provided by Pritam Gohil, a former employee of an Angadia firm who was earlier arrested for allegedly masterminding the robbery.

Former Angadia Employee Allegedly Planned the Robbery

The case relates to the abduction of Ketan Parikh, an employee of Bapunagar-based N.R. Angadia, on the night of October 21. Parikh was carrying ₹34 lakh collected from a bank when a group of men travelling in a car allegedly intercepted him on the Odhav overbridge.

Posing as GST officials, the accused allegedly forced him into their vehicle, took him towards Kathwada and robbed him of the cash before fleeing.

Following the complaint at Odhav police station, the Crime Branch arrested Pritam Gohil, who had previously worked at an Angadia firm.

According to the police investigation, Pritam allegedly devised the plan after a dispute arose when a new firm was established, resulting in the original firm losing clients. He allegedly believed the Angadia operators would avoid approaching the police because of concerns over reputational damage and would instead settle the matter privately.

He allegedly recruited his acquaintance Vishwajeet Goswami to execute the robbery. Goswami and driver Vikas Bhardwaj are accused of carrying out the abduction and taking away the cash.

Accused Allegedly Tried to Escape to Himachal and Leh

After the robbery, Pritam was allegedly summoned to Delhi to receive his share of the stolen money. The accused subsequently travelled through Delhi, Lucknow, Etawah, Bhind, Morena and Gwalior.

Pritam's brother, Amit Shemadiya, allegedly helped the accused escape towards Himachal Pradesh by providing assistance and shelter.

Once there, the accused allegedly changed their SIM cards and mobile phones as part of an attempt to evade the police and move towards Leh, where they planned to go underground.

However, technical surveillance helped investigators track their movements. With assistance from Himachal Pradesh Police, the teams set up barricades and apprehended the three suspects.

How the ₹34 Lakh Was Allegedly Spent

Police said the accused used part of the stolen money to purchase a vehicle and a high-end mobile phone, while some of the amount was transferred to a bank account.

• Brezza car – ₹10 lakh: A new Brezza was purchased in Gwalior in the names of Pritam's and Amit's fathers.
• iPhone 17 Pro – ₹1.5 lakh: The accused allegedly purchased the phone using the stolen money.
• Bank transfer – ₹5 lakh: The amount was deposited into the account of a friend in Nagpur. Police have frozen the account.
• Cash to Pritam's father – ₹2.56 lakh: The money was allegedly handed over to his father, who had been arrested earlier.
• Driver's share – ₹10,000: Vikas Bhardwaj was allegedly given ₹30,000, of which ₹20,000 was subsequently taken back.

Police said assets worth more than ₹28 lakh have been recovered so far.

What Is the Role of the Three Newly Arrested Accused?

Investigators have attributed different roles to the three men arrested in Himachal Pradesh.

Vishwajeet Goswami: Identified as the main accused who allegedly executed the robbery with the driver. Police said he has two to three previous criminal cases registered against him, including cases related to physical assault.

Vikas Bhardwaj: Allegedly drove the vehicle used in the crime. He has no previous criminal record and has claimed that he was initially unaware of the conspiracy, according to the information provided by police.

Amit Shemadiya alias Gohil: Pritam's brother, who allegedly provided shelter to the accused after the robbery and helped them flee and conceal or dispose of the stolen money. Police said he has no previous criminal record.

The investigation is continuing to establish the full movement of the stolen cash and the roles of everyone involved in the alleged conspiracy.