Ahmedabad, May 5 (IANS): The Gujarat ATS is in hyper active mode as the elections are approaching. Earlier the sleuths seized a big amount of drugs and now it's the turn of illegal arms. The Gujarat ATS busted a big illegal arms racket in just 24 hours and seized around 54 arms from 24 accused.
Gujarat ATS police inspector Harsh Upadhyay got the lead that accused Devendra alias Dendu and his accomplice Champaraj Khachar, who were on a parole jump from Limdi sub-jail, kept illegal weapons in their possession. On May 3 they were going towards Astodia from Geeta Mandir bus stand of Ahmedabad when ATS police inspector Bhuva's team was dispatched to raid.
While the ATS team was on the watch for these persons at the Astodia petrol pump near Geeta Mandir, at about 4.30 p.m. they reached Geeta Mandir bus stand. Devendra alias Dendu, Bharatbhai Boricha and Champraj Matrabhai Khachar, who were seen coming from the bus stand were stopped there and arrested. The police seized illegal weapons. Each of them had two locally made pistols.
The pistols were to be delivered to a man named Vanraj of Vadodara. The ATS officers filed a complaint against them and further proceedings were undertaken. During the preliminary inquiry, it was learnt that the accused had earlier brought hundreds of illegal weapons from Kukshi district of Madhya Pradesh and sold them to some people in different districts of Saurashtra like Surendranagar, Botad, Rajkot. Accordingly, ATS officers R.B. Rana, B.H. Korat, K.M. Bhuva and K.R. Vyas formed teams, raided these districts and arrested 22 other persons in 24 hours and seized a total of 50 illegal weapons from their possession.
A total of 54 illegal weapons were seized from 24 persons. Further investigations and raids are underway with the possibility of finding more illegal weapons. In addition to these two arrested accused, Devendra alias Dendu as well as Bharatbhai Boricha have been booked in Sayla, Chotila and Paliyad police stations of Surendranagar district for a total of 4 offences under the Arms Act, attempted murder and prohibition laws.
A total of 7 offences have been registered against Champaraj Matrabhai Khachar at Sayla, Chotila and Thangarh police stations in Surendranagar district under the Arms Act, attempted murder and prohibition laws. Devendra alias Dendu and Bharatbhai Boricha had been on parole since February 28 this year in the case of attempted murder at Sayla police station at Limdi sub-jail.