11-member gang flees after overpowering cops; one held

The 11-member gang managed to overpower the eight policemen who were escorting them back to the jail after a hearing at the Halol court. The police did open fire on the escaping convicts but 10 of them managed to flee from the spot. One was arrested and the police have sounded a statewide alert for arresting the others. Five policemen who were injured in the melee have been shifted to the SSG Hospital for treatment.

According to the police, the notorious Dahod-based gang was involved in a jewellery heist in Halol on November 20, 2007. The Panchmahals police later tracked them down and arrested them and shifted them to the Sabarmati Jail. They were being taken back to the jail after their court hearing today when the incident happened.

Vadodara Superintendent of Police Amit Vishwakarma said the incident happened near Vasad on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Express Highway. A group of eight policemen from Ahmedabad headquarters, which included one assistant sub inspector, two head constables, five constables and a lok rakshak were escorting the accused back to the jail.

The 11 managed to overpower the police inspite of nine rounds of firing and escape through the Mahi ravines. The police could arrest only one of them, he said, adding that the convicts managed to injure five policemen even with their handcuffs on.

Vishwakarma said, a statewide alert has been sounded for arresting them now. The arrest of the one of the 11 undertrials is not proving to be too helpful, as he has not uttered a word ever since his arrest, said a police official from Bhadarva. According to him, all the convicts are in their early twenties.

The five injured policemen are head constables Ramsinh Jawansinh, Ramesh Somabhai, Chimanbhai, Takhaji Baria and Lok Rakshak Mahendrasinh Dashrath.