180km Search, 3 Days & A Number Plate: How Two Brothers Accused Of Mandi Dhaba Firing Were Caught
Police resolved a robbery and shootout in Pulgharat, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, arresting brothers Ajmal and Azam from Muzaffarpur. They used a bike without a plate and fired at a dhaba owner
The police have successfully resolved a robbery and shootout case that occurred on the night of March 21 in Pulgharat, Mandi city of Himachal Pradesh. Within three days, the accused were apprehended.
The two brothers, Ajmal and Azam, hail from Muzaffarpur in Uttar Pradesh and had been residing in Ratti village for an extended period, working as labourers. Mandi police arrested them from Ner Chowk on March 25, revealing significant details about the case.
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Mandi SP Sakshi Verma described the case as initially a blind one for the police. The suspects had meticulously planned the crime, using a bike without a number plate. At the time of the incident, the Dhaba owner did not get a good look at the perpetrators, and they could not be identified through CCTV footage, complicating the investigation.
The police began by reviewing CCTV footage from Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) and toll plazas within a 180 km radius, from Manali to the Himachal Pradesh border. When some clues emerged, a special investigation team led by ASP Sachin Hiremath was formed.
By March 24, the team had identified the bike used in the crime by analysing various footage. Subsequently, the police connected other pieces of evidence, leading to the identification and arrest of the accused in Ner Chowk.
The suspects, 25-year-old Mohammad Ajmal and 19-year-old Azam, both sons of Mohammad Aslam from Muzaffarpur, Uttar Pradesh, were confirmed to be brothers living in Ratti. They worked as aluminium fitters.
The investigation revealed that the bike was first spotted in Bhuntar and later, its number plate was removed in subsequent CCTV footage. After committing the crime, the suspects avoided the highway between Mandi and Ner Chowk, escaping through a connecting road. Familiar with the area after living in Mandi for two years, they managed to evade immediate capture.
Further investigation into mobile tower dump data revealed active numbers at night, including those of the suspects. This led the police to their rented house, where they were arrested. The police also found a bike at the scene, which had been tampered with, and its number plate was fake.
SP Mandi stated that the police suspect the bike’s chassis number had been altered for the crime, and the investigation is ongoing. The pistol recovered from the suspects is also under examination. Additionally, their criminal history has been requested from Muzaffarpur Police. The exact motive behind the robbery and shooting remains under investigation.
The incident in question involved the suspects firing at a Dhaba operator with a country-made pistol near Pulgharat, injuring the owner. The suspects had initially ordered three meals to be packed but later opened fire and stole Rs 6,000. They conversed in Punjabi to create confusion.
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