Panvel villagers kill a robber of chaddi banyan gang

A day after burglars killed two members of a family in Panvel, a village patrol in the area killed one of four robbers who had come to their village on Saturday.

A day after burglars killed two members of a family in Panvel, a village patrol in the area killed one of four robbers who had come to their village on Saturday. While two managed to escape, one has been admitted to hospital with injuries. Police say the robbers belong to the chaddi banyan gang of the Pardhi community.

HT Image

The incident occurred on Sunday at Chikle village, where villagers had taken to patrolling the streets in small groups on the advice of the New Panvel police station after numerous cases of vehicle theft were reported in the area.

At around 3.30 am, a village patrol noticed four men, dressed in the typical chaddi and banyan (shorts and vest) belonging to the Pardhi community, coming towards the village.

“Just a day earlier, two of a family had been killed in the region. The villagers grew suspicious and moved towards them,” Walchand Munde, senior police inspector of New Panvel police station said.

The four men responded by pelting the patrol with stones, which confirmed the patrol’s suspicions. They raised the alarm, after which several villagers came to their aid and encircled the burglars. A scuffle followed between the villagers and the four men.

Kiran Shinde, 30, one of the robbers the villagers assaulted, died, while the other, Vilas Bhosale, 40, was admitted to Sion hospital with injuries.

“Bhosale is the gang leader. He claims the four had come there looking for work. Two of them managed to escape while the villagers beat up the other two,” said Munde, adding that the duo was found carrying iron weapons and bamboo sticks.