Cop-led gang of blackmailers busted

GANDHINAGAR - A six-member gang, led by a police constable, using a woman to bait men and blackmail them has been busted by the crime branch in Ahmedabad and two of its members arrested, police said Tuesday.

The constable, Mukesh Patel who had also appeared for an examination to qualify as a sub-inspector, is absconding, crime branch officials said. Two of the gang members, a man and a woman, have been arrested.

The gang had been active for seven years using a woman as bait to target middle-aged men, particularly lone travellers, in the guise of giving them a lift and then forcing them to part with cash.

The gang came to police\’s attention when a widower, looking for a nanny for his children, was fleeced of jewellery worth over Rs.2 lakh and reported the matter. The criminals were soon identified and two arrested, Assistant Commissioner of Police M.Chavda said, adding that the remaining would also be nabbed soon.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat police is undertaking an exercise to identify its personnel involved in criminal activities, following a number of such cases recently.

A case was filed last month against Deputy Superintendent of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja after he demanded a bribe of Rs.one crore from a Vadodara-based builder. Jadeja was posted in the economic offences cell and is also being probed by the anti-corruption bureau for owning assets in excess of his income.

Constable Himmatsinh Gohil of Ahmedabad is already behind bars after he was arrested for robbing gold bars worth Rs.64 lakh.

Last month, another police officer R.S.Rana, posted as deputy superintendent of police in Ahmedabad rural, was caught red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs.three lakh.