Police overhear dacoity plan, foil bid at petrol pump on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway; woman among 6 held

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Police in Maharashtra's Palghar district has foiled a dacoity planned at a petrol pump on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and arrested six persons, including a woman.

An official from Virar police station said that acting on information, the crime branch sleuths on Friday night found a jeep parked near Jivdani helipad in Virar area on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway with a group of individuals discussing their plans, newswire PTI reported.

After overhearing the conversation, the police learnt about their plan to commit dacoity at a petrol pump on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and immediately alerted senior officials.

The police were attacked when they tried to apprehend the dacoits, resulting in injuries to two security personnel, the official said.

Later, the police arrested six persons, including a woman. All the accused, in the age group of 20 to 48 years, suffered minor injuries while being apprehended, as per the FIR.

Another accused, hailing from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, managed to escape, the official said.

The police seized a chopper, some large knives and other accessories commonly used in dacoities from the accused and impounded their jeep, the official said.

A case was registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

Three of the arrested persons hailed from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, two from Ahmednagar and one from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, the police added.

Meanwhile, a state transport bus parked on the side of a road caught fire in Maharashtra's Latur district and no casualties were reported in the incident, police said on Monday.

The blaze erupted on a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus near Omardara village in Jalkoat tehsil on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, an official said.

The bus was heading to Omarda village from Udgir when it broke down on the way and was parked on the side of the road, he said.

The official said the driver and conductor were asleep inside the bus when the fire broke out around 1.30 am, and they escaped unhurt.

A fire engine was pressed into service to douse the flames, he said, adding that the incident is being probed. (With inputs from agencies)