SHILLONG: In a major haul, Shillong Police arrested five members of a gang of dacoits while they were on their way to Mawsynram to commit dacoity.
Addressing a press conference here in the city on Tuesday, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang informed that a SWAT team arrested the dacoits after police received information that a group of armed persons were set to leave for Mawsynram to commit
dacoity following which a SWAT team along with personnel of Mawngap outpost intercepted a local taxi (ML 05E 2767) and arrested the dacoits. During search of the vehicle police recovered two revolvers and eleven rounds of live ammunitions.
The arrested members of the gang have been identified as Newman Kharbani, Raju Singh of Goraline, Bharat Roy of Golflink, Sanjay Krishna Gowala of Madanriting, and Prakash Singh of Harijan Colony, Bara Bazar.
All five have been remanded in police custody for 10 days.
According to Kharkrang, Newman Kharbani, who is a hardcore criminal, is the kingpin of the gang.
Kharbani had been arrested in 2004 for committing robbery and dacoity and had remained in detained under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) from 2004 to 2005 after which he again resumed his criminal activities and was again arrested in 2007 with arms.
Kharkrang informed that Kharbani was admitted in Civil Hospital but he escaped from custody in 2007. Police once again managed to re-arrest him after which he was jailed under MPDA for three years.
After his release, Kharbani was once again arrested for looting oil tankers but managed to secure bail only to be arrested for the fifth time in November 2013 for committing dacoity at Sohiong.
Yet again he managed to come out on bail, but this time police had put him under surveillance, Kharkrang said.
