Five nabbed in Vaijapur bank arson;1 absconding

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural Police has arrested five individuals for attempting to rob and set fire to the Maharashtra Gramin Bank in Vaijapur in the early hours of Sunday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Akshay Karale (28, Karanjgaon, Vaijapur tehsil), Bharat Kadam (Virgaon, Vaijapur tehsil), Sachin Kere (25) and Vaibhav alias Gaju Kere (27), both from Gawli Shivar, Gangapur tehsil, and Dharba Birade (31, Andhori, Ahmedpur tehsil, Latur). One more suspect, Appa Bane(Ahmedpur tehsil, Latur), is currently absconding. According to police, around 3.24 am on April 20, four men arrived at the bank in a Swift car (MH-14-BX-7988), broke the shutter, entered the premises, and set it on fire, leading to an explosion. The fire caused extensive damage to ATM cards, chequebooks, DD books, loan files, computers, UPS systems, and other official documents. The total loss is estimated to be over Rs 15 lakh. While investigating the vehicle, API Pawan Ingle and his team found several fake number plates in the boot of the car. One of them (MH-04-DW-4511) helped the police trace the vehicle to an auto dealer in Malegaon, Nashik district. Upon inquiry, it was discovered that the car had been purchased using forged documents and fake identity details. Based on sources and technical tracking, the LCB team detained Akshay Karale on Monday.

During interrogation, Karale revealed that the plan was orchestrated by Bharat Kadam, who already has a fraud case registered against him by the same bank. The accused had purchased the Swift car on April 3 for Rs 1.55 lakh using forged documents. According to Karale, the motive behind the attack was revenge for legal action taken by the bank in a loan fraud case involving Kadam. It was also revealed that two of the accused, Dharba Birade and the absconding Appa Bane, sustained burn injuries during the fire. The case was cracked under the guidance of Superintendent of police Dr Vinay Kumar Rathod and additional SP Annapurna Singh. The operation was led by police inspector Satish Wagh and API Pawan Ingle, along with team members including Bhaginath Aher, Vitthal Doke, Valmik Nikam, Shivanand Bange, Ashok Wagh and others.