MUMBAI: A gang of seven offenders, six of whom are related to each other, hired a vehicle from Haryana and came to Mumbai to snatch gold chains from railway commuters. The gang was to target devotees congregating at Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi. Their car was intercepted at Karkam in Solapur. The gang, comprising four women, hasn’t been cooperating with investigators. The police strongly suspect that the gang has a past crime record in north India.The accused have been identified as auto driver Meghshyam Solanki, his wife Rita Solanki, Rita’s sister Rina Chauhan, auto driver Arjun Chauhan, his sister Mamta Chauhan, her relative Rashmi Chauhan, and car driver Shashikumar Chauhan. Except Shashikumar who is a Rajasthan native, all the others hail from Faridabad in Haryana. They travelled to Maharashtra by road from Haryana and reached Panvel on July 19. At Panvel and Dadar, Rita snatched two gold chains in the ladies coach,” said DCP Purushottam Karad. They then left for Pandharpur.After the two victims lodged police complaints, the GRP went through CCTV footage at Panvel and Dadar. “The gang was not aware of Pandharpur’s diety but they knew that lakhs of devotees were to gather,” said senior inspector Shailendra Dhiwar, Mumbai Central GRP.

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