Vadodara: Vadodara cops sting back on Bicchu gang by initiating the process of identifying movable and immovable properties of the 15 members who were nabbed over the past two days.
Criminals arrested under the stringent Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime Act (GujCTOC) are set to lose their properties too. “Our focus is on identifying the properties owned by these criminals in and outside the city. Only those properties that were bought from the proceeds of the crime would be confiscated,” said Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, DCP (crime). The police department have formed special teams to identify such properties.
City police commissioner, Shamsher Singh said that it will send a strong message to all the undesirable elements in the city and discourage them from resorting to crime. “Also, those booked under the GujCTOC may not get bail for several months. It will act as a deterrent for those indulging in crimes frequently,” said a police official.
Cops recently booked 26 members of the Bichhu gang and arrested 15 of them under the GCTOC as they had become a menace for the citizens, especially the traders’ community.
Aslam Bodiyo, who is leader of the gang, is yet to be nabbed. “We have got remand of the accused and our teams are trying to gather details about their network,” Jadeja said.
Singh said that the police is also planning to crack down on other similar gangs in the city. Those under the radar include the Chirag Pandya and Vicky Pandya who have been extorting money from small and medium traders in the old city. Famously known as Pandya brothers, they have also been accused in murder as well as many assault cases. “A drive is on to identify criminals who have committed serious offences in the city in last three years,” a police official said.