Robber suspected to have been helping Maoists held in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The Juhu unit of the Mahrashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Saturday arrested a 38-year-old dreaded robber who is suspected to have been helping Maoists in Nepal financially. The robber, Dalveer Singh Rawat alias Raja alias Pappu Nepali, was arrested from near a petrol pump in Andheri, west, where he had come allegedly to commit crime during the lockdown.
Sources in the ATS said that they recovered a country made pistol and three bullets from Rawat. "During interrogation, we have got some vital leads in the case. Rawat is suspected to have been providing financial help to the Maoists in Nepal. We can not speak much about it at this stage,” said an officer. This is a major success for ATS since they have got one of the terror financiers, said a source.
Juhu ATS unit head inspector Daya Nayak got an information about Rawat and that he would be coming in Andheri to commit some crime. On the directions of Deven Bharti, ATS chief, a team supervised by ACP Shripad Kale and Nayak was formed to arrest the suspect. Other officers Sachin Patil, Dashrath Vitkar, Sagar Kunjir and staff laid a trap and picked up Rawat. He has been booked under the Arms Act.
Rawat during the interrogation also admitted his role in the July 2017 robbery at a gold workshop in Vijayawada where he along with his gang of 10 people had looted 16 kg gold. The accused in this gang belong to various states. While the Vijayawada police had arrested seven people and recovered a stolen gold ornaments worth Rs one crore Rawat was never arrested in this case. “There is suspicion that he has strong connection with the Maoists and calls people from Nepal when they plan big robbery. The cops are working on some information that a major chunk of the robberies go to the Maoists in Nepal for their destructive activities,” said a source in the security establishment.
There more than 30 to 35 cases registered against Rawat in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and other parts of the country. Rawat, who is still not married, did not have any permanent residence in Mumbai. He used to stay with his Nepalese friends and share room with them. At the time of his arrest, he was staying at Virar with a friend. “There are reports that he was planning to go to Nepal and wanted to meet a ticket agent who could arrange a train ticket for him,” said a police officer.