The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch has solved 30 new cases of robbery and recovered 2 kg of gold with the arrest of Fayyaz Khalid Shaikh (36) on October 20 after an exchange of gunfire in Khalapur.
A Crime Branch official said, “We recovered most of the gold from Gujarat. In some cases, we were able to make a full recovery. The number of cases solved is expected to rise. Legal formalities have been initiated to return all the stolen goods to the owners.” The police are looking to book Mr. Shaikh under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
Mr. Shaikh was wanted in nearly 90 cases at the time of arrest. He had earlier given the police the slip several times in the past three years at Nerul, Vapi, Virar and Khed. In Nerul, he attacked a constable with a razor blade. At Virar and Vapi, he fired at the police.
On October 14, he evaded the police near Khaniwadi toll naka after firing two rounds at them. His wife and grandmother were then arrested. Mr. Shaikh was arrested on October 20 after police received information that he was staying at the house of his friend, Sakharam Pawar (30).
Mr. Shaikh, Mr. Pawar and their associate Haji Peer Mohammad Shaikh alias Saleem (31) fired six rounds at the police, while the police fired eight rounds of 9-mm bullets and theree plastic bullets. Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Saleem, who sustained injuries, were also arrested.