Gujarat: Homeopathy doctor among 11 held for dacoity, vandalism at toll plaza near Veraval town

Hours after they allegedly vandalised Dari toll plaza on National Highway 51 near Veraval town in Gir Somnath early Monday, 11 men, including a homeopathy doctor, were arrested on charges of dacoity and house-trespass.

According to the FIR registered at Prabhas Patan police station in Veraval – based on a complaint filed by toll plaza supervisor Raju Barad masked men came in a car and two motorbikes around 2.40 am, smashed nine of the 10 glass cabins of the toll booths with wooden sticks and pipes, damaged six computers and made away with a bag containing Rs 8,000 in cash.

As the employees of the toll plaza got together, the accused sped away in their vehicle parked 150 m away from the toll plaza.

Anil Vaja, the son of Bij village sarpanch and a homeopathy doctor, a person named Vipul and a few unidentified men were booked under sections 395 (dacoity), 450 (house trespass with intent to commit offence punishable with life imprisonment), 427 (mischief causing damage of Rs 50) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Less than 24 hours after the FIR was registered, teams of Local Crime Branch and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Gir Somnath district police detained 11 accused, including Vaja, and handed them over to Prabhas Patan police station. They were later formally arrested.