Cops bust gang of teenage killers

The Thane police has busted a gang of four tribal teenagers, which started out committing robberies but then moved on to murdering people to steal their phones and laptops. It had recently committed four murders in the Khadkpada area of Kalyan in one month. Shockingly, the leader of the gang is 16 years old.

In three incidents, the gang members — identified as Nitin Wagh (19), Nitesh alias Nitya Bhagwan Bhoir (20), Ravindra alias Ravi Wagh (20) and the 16-year-old boy — had killed security guards, and later a raped and knifed a 20-year-old girl to death. According to police officials, the youngsters, who hail from Bandarpada, Mohane Road, Kalyan (west), had formed a gang to snatch cellphones few months back. They are illiterate and addicted to alcohol, the police said.

On April 9 the gang attacked a 22-year-old mechanical engineer and assaulted two others near Shahad in Kalyan at around 12:30 am. A case of murder and assault has been registered in the Khadkpada police station.

On April 10, Sanjay Singh (28), based with Mangeshi Paradise, saw the accused robbing a bulb and when he was about to stop them, he was assaulted with sharp weapon. On April 14, mechanical engineering student Priya Darvade, a residence of Sai Dham building B-wing, who had appeared for the MPSC (Maharashtra Public Service Commission) exam, was raped and knifed to death by the minor accused. Her cell phone, gold chain and mangalsutra worth `1.60 lakh were robbed. According police officials the accused entered in her house to rob her laptop but killed her as she had woken up. The accused were unaware about how cellphones work. Removing and discarding the sim card from Darvade’s phone, they used it for their personal use. The police then traced and arrested them. The police has seized a two weapons, an Android cellphone, a laptop and a gold chain from the gang. “The minor was leading the newly formed gang. The four were committing crimes in order to lead a lavish life. All of them will be produced in court on Tuesday. During the interrogation, the minor who assaulted Darvade allegedly stated that he first assaulted her with sharp weapon, but decided to raped her because he ‘liked’ her,” said Central Crime Detection Unit officer Devidas Gheware.