WhatsApp helps Railway GRP identify Dacoit

WhatsApp helps Railway GRP identify Dacoit

Pune: The government railway police (GRP), Pune, used WhatsApp to establish the real identity of a dacoit arrested for attacking three policemen at the Malthan railway station near Daund on March 17.

Constables Swapnil Shinde had showed courage in nabbing the dacoit, who first identified himself as Babu Kale. His accomplices, about 7 to 8 in number, tried to help him but ran away after other constables, Yogesh Jagtap and Sanjay Pachpute, rushed to help Shinde. All three constables are undergoing treatment and their condition is improving. Shinde had received deep stab injuries.

A GRP official said on Monday, “The suspect first said his name is Babu Kale, but investigation proved that he was lying. He has also refused to give the names of his accomplices.”

The GRP then released the suspect’s photograph on a WhatsApp group of policemen belonging to different ranks. This helped them establish his identity as Eknath Pawar, a criminal on the records of GRP, Kurduwadi and Daund city, Walchandnagar and Baramati police stations.

The GRP have also identified the other dacoits. Pawar and others were involved in robbery, dacoity and Arms Act cases among others.

Pawar was produced in a magisterial court in Daund on Monday following the expiry of his police custody remand. The court rejected the police plea of extending his police custody remand. He was sent in magisterial custody.

The GRP arrested Pawar again on Monday in a chain-snatching case reported in the Mumbai-Solapur Express at Jinti station near Bhigwan on May 22 last year. Assistant inspector Vasant Shete and sub-inspector Nivrutti Lavade of the GRP, Daund, are investigating the case.