Indore (Madhya Pradesh): An accused involved in a series of robberies in the city was arrested by the Bhanwarkuan police on Tuesday for mugging. His accomplice who had come out of jail on bail just three months ago, is on the run. They have committed robberies under four police station jurisdictions including Bhanwarkuan, Kanadiya, Khajrana and MIG police station areas within one month in which they looted cash, mobile phones and motorcycles. Of these crimes, two crimes were committed on the same day. They looted a vegetable trader in Bhanwarkuan on Thursday and later robbed a woman of her gold chain in Kanadiya area on the same day. They had committed these crimes to repay the debt taken to arrange for bail for the accused who is on the run.

According to additional DCP zone 4 Abhinay Vishwakarma, a vegetable trader was robbed by unidentified accused on Ring Road, Pipliya Rao on Thursday. After taking cognisance of the crime, police registered a case against unidentified persons and initiated a probe into the case. Police examined around 500 CCTVs’ footage to identify the accused. During the investigation, police came to know that an accused of the same discretion was involved in robbery incidents reported in the Kanadiya and Khajrana police station areas also. On further examining CCTV footage from the concerned areas the police were able to identify the two accused as Arbaz of Roshan Nagar, Khajrana and Akil of Asharfi Colony, Khajrana.

On receiving a tip-off that Arbaz was roaming in the Khajrana area, police went there and nabbed the accused. Police recovered the motorcycle used in the crime. The motorcycle had been stolen from Khajrana police station jurisdiction. They also recovered a gold chain stolen from Kanadiya police station jurisdiction, mobile phone looted under MIG police station area, another mobile phone used in the crime and approximately Rs 3 lakh cash. Two mobile phones were not recovered, and police are tracing them.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to committing all the robberies along with Akil. Arbaz was an e-rickshaw driver and Akil was in jail for a murder case and had come out on bail three months ago after being convicted for 9 years in jail. He had taken a debt for his bail from the jail. He mugged and stabbed one person for looting cash to repay the debt. They used to threaten people with knives to get money and robbed them of their cash as it could not be traced. They had stolen a motorcycle from Khajrana area a day before committing robbery in the Bhanwarkuan and Kanadiya areas. Arbaz had previously been booked in two cases and Akil had been booked in four cases. Police are searching for Akil and Arbaz is being interrogated for other previous criminal activities.