Dare-devil team of women cops nab gangster in Gujarat

In a swift operation, an all-women team of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) tracked down a dreaded gangster from Botad ravines.

Acting on a tip off that Jusab Allarakha Sandh, wanted in at least 23 serious crimes, was hiding in the ravines in Saurashtra region, the ATS team of young woman police sub-inspectors led by Santok Odedara gathered around Saturday midnight to plan the operation.

ATS sources said on Monday that the team decided to close in on him and get him in the early hours of Sunday when Sandh might be sleeping. Once his location was identified, they kept a watch from a distance of 100 to 150 metres and waited.

Since Sandh had been known to be trigger-happy and always moved with firearms loaded, the women decided to be well-equipped and carried AK-47 rifles, besides sophisticated revolvers.

They decided that it would be best to swoop down on the criminal at the crack of dawn and not in the dark since he might indiscriminately open fire.

The women pounced on him leaving him with no opportunity to strike back and first snatched away his loaded revolver.

Sandh, a resident of Ravani in Junagadh district, had been on the run after he jumped parole in June last year and subsequently murdered one Jeevanbhai Sangani to avenge the killing of his aide Musha.

As many as 23 cases of murder, dacoity, land grabbing and attack on police and others were lodged against him in Rajkot Rural, Junagadh and Ahmedabad city and rural areas.

Women sub-inspectors Santok Odedara and Nitamika Gohel are 2013 batch officers while Shakuntala Mal and Aruna Gamit are from the 2010 batch of Gujarat Police Service.

--IANS

desai/mr