Nashik cops arrest 2 Irani gang members, solve nearly 60 cases

Nashik: The Nashik city police on Sunday arrested two Irani gang members, residents of Bhiwandi in Thane district, after a high-speed chase and scuffle near Ozar. The duo were wanted for their involvement in 57 cheating cases over two years — mainly for impersonating police officers to dupe elderly citizens of jewellery — and attacking a police team in Karnataka.The police identified the arrested as Amjadali Baig (47) and Faiyaz Ansari (28). "With their arrest, we have successfully solved 42 cases in Nashik city, 10 in Nashik rural, five in Dhule and one in Karnataka," an officer said.The gang had gained notoriety for targeting elderly citizens by posing as policemen and convincing them to hand over their jewellery, only to flee with the valuables. The rising number of such cases over the past two years had become a major concern for the police.The breakthrough occurred on Sunday afternoon when constable Mayur Pawar from the detection branch spotted two men on a motorcycle in the Pathardi Phata area during a routine patrol. Their appearance and vehicle closely matched the suspects in cheating cases the constable had been tracking through CCTV footage.Pawar immediately alerted senior inspector Jagvendrasinh Rajput and began following the duo while additional teams were dispatched for support. Sensing they were being tailed, the suspects attempted to flee along the Mumbai-Agra Highway toward Dhule, riding at speed exceeding 100kmph. "The detection team intercepted them near Ozar. A scuffle broke out as the suspects tried to flee, but they were overpowered and detained at the scene," constable Pawar said.According to the police, the duo was also wanted for assaulting a police team from the Gadag-Betageri police station in Karnataka. "We have identified other accomplices linked to the gang and expect more arrests soon. During investigation, we managed to recover more than 200 grams of gold worth over Rs 30 lakh," an officer involved in the investigation said.Commissioner of police Sandeep Karnik congratulated DCP (Zone 2) Kishor Kale and the Ambad police station team, and offered special praise for constable Pawar. "Constable Pawar had been tracking the criminals for the past two years and finally succeeded in nabbing them. His work was exemplary," the police commissioner said. The Ambad police will continue the probe in the case.