Nashik arms haul: Mumbai man wanted to steal only revolvers to scare and loot people

Says it was accomplices who stole the rifles, and the he planned to eventually sell them

megha.sood@htlive.com

The Nashik police seized a huge cache of arms from the accused (HT File)

The main accused in the Nashik arms haul case has told police that he only wanted to steal small pistols and revolvers to scare people at night and loot them. He said his accomplices had stolen the rifles, which he eventually planned to sell.

Badrudin Juman Badshah alias Sumit alias Suka, 27, the main accused in the case, said he had planned to rob just the revolvers but it was his accomplices who filled the cavity of the vehicle with the rifles and double barrels as well. Nashik rural police had seized a large quantity of arms, including 25 rifles, one machine gun, 19 revolvers and 4,166 live cartridges from Badshah’s gang on December 15.

In his statement to Chandwad police, Badshah admitted that he wanted to scare people and loot them by using the revolvers. Badshah has said that after his accomplices stole other weapons, he just wanted to stock the rifles and double barrels and would have sold them one by one to buyers. He said he would have kept just the pistols and revolvers. “He wanted to threaten locals and carry on late night loot of passerbys and last local commuters,” said a police officer from Chanvad police station. “Badshah considers he is already an underworld gangster, claiming that he has links with Dawood Ibrahim,” added the officer.

The accused, a resident of Sewri, had looted a company called Punjab Armoury at Pillikothi area of Banda district in Uttar Pradesh and were on their way to Mumbai via Kanpur when they were arrested.

The police seized the weapons at a toll naka after the accused filled diesel at a fuel pump, but refused to pay, and instead threatened the staff at gun point before fleeing from the spot. The staff informed police, which in-turn called the control room and a nakabandi was announced. The accused were nabbed and were found to be driving a stolen Mahindra Bolero car registered in Mumbai.

When they were caught, Badshah apologised to the police personnel and told them he had made a mistake as he was under the influence of alcohol. He offered them Rs11,000 to let him go. The police personnel, however, conducted a search and found a revolver on Badshah. Later the Nashik police arrested three more accused while the Mumbai crime branch arrested five people for allegedly stealing the Bolero and creating a cavity in it.