Akola, 08 June

(HS): Five people were arrested in Akola under ‘Operation Prahar’ in connection

with inter-state arms smuggling racket. Various police stations seized arms

including country made pistols from them.

Suraj Sontakke,

a resident of Chikhalwadi, Nanded was arrested first. Based on information

given by him Ramdaspeth Police and Civil Lines Police started investigation.

They seized two fire arms. One Sachin Mukund Balkhande (29) resident of Akol

File, Akote was arrested from water tank premises, near Municipal School No. 7.

A pistol and live cartridges worth Rs 41,000 were seized from him. In another

operation the Crime Branch arrested Adesh Athawale (25) a resident of Akola in

Umri area. A country made revolver was seized from his possession.

Police during

two days operations in under Patur, Ural, Ramdaspeth and Civil Lines police

stations seized four fire arms. The accused Suraj Sontakke and Atish Vishnu

Suryavanshi of Ambedkar Nagar, Nanded were wanted in connection with a robbery.

They were engaged in illegal sale of arms under the name of catering

contractors.

Various offences

are registered against those arrested, including illegal possession of arms,

robbery, murder attempt, dacoity etc in different police stations.

The operations

were carried out under the guidance of PI Shankar Shelke of the Crime Branch.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar