Ahmedabad Police bust gang posing as tree cutters to rob bungalow in Navrangpura

In a swift detection, the Zone-1 Local Crime Branch (LCB) and the Navrangpura police surveillance team have arrested three members of a gang — including a juvenile — who allegedly broke into a bungalow in Navrangpura on the pretext of cutting trees and fled with gold, silver ornaments and cash worth over ₹11 lakh.

According to the police, the incident took place on October 24 at Kamala Society in Navrangpura, when the accused broke open the wooden door of the complainant’s bungalow roof between 10 am and 4.30 pm, and made away with jewellery and cash.

Following the complaint filed, an FIR was registered under Sections of the BNS, at the Navrangpura Police Station.

Taking cognisance of the gravity of the offence, separate teams from the LCB Zone-1 and Navrangpura police were formed under Police Inspectors K A Gadhvi and H B Gadhvi.

The teams examined around 200 CCTV footages from the vicinity and identified the faces of suspects captured near the bungalow during the time of the incident. Based on specific technical leads and local intelligence, the joint team traced and arrested the accused from the Ganeshnagar area near Pirana crossroads.

The arrested have been identified as Paresh alias Gagu Sureshbhai Dantani (21), a resident of Ganeshnagar at Pirana crossroads; Shailesh alias Kishan Kanubhai Rawat (28), also from Ganeshnagar; and a juvenile in conflict with the law. Police have recovered gold and silver ornaments worth ₹9.57 lakh, cash amounting to ₹1.18 lakh, and an autorickshaw valued at ₹25,000 totalling ₹11.01 lakh from their possession.

Police said both Paresh and Shailesh are repeat offenders with previous records of housebreaking and theft. Paresh was earlier booked in a case registered at Vatva Police Station, while Shailesh faced similar charges in a 2018 case registered at Narol Police Station.

Police said the gang’s modus operandi involved posing as tree cutters to survey houses and identify potential targets. “They would strike during daytime when the residents were away, using tools to break open rooftops and doors,” said a senior police official.

Further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused are linked to other unsolved burglaries in the city.