Rajkot: A 14-year-old cold case involving the robbery of Rs 12 lakh from a grocery trader has finally been cracked by the crime branch. Investigators said an internal dispute among the alleged robbers led them to the three suspects.Afzal alias Saddam Dalwani (37), Rakesh alias Bitu Chudasama (41) and Iqbal Sheikh (40) have been arrested, police said, adding that Rs 2.50 lakh in cash was recovered from their possession.The robbery took place in 2012, when a local grocery trader was returning home on his scooter after closing his shop near a hotel behind Civil Hospital Chowk. Three men on a motorcycle intercepted him, threw chilli powder into his eyes and fled with a bag containing Rs 12 lakh in cash.The A Division police registered a case against unidentified persons at the time. However, the lack of eyewitnesses, CCTV footage and advanced technical surveillance tools stalled the investigation, leaving the case unsolved for more than a decade.The breakthrough came after the crime branch received a specific tip-off that the three suspects were scheduled to meet near the Central Warehouse in Popatpara. Acting on the information, a police team raided the spot and arrested them.According to DCP (crime) Jagdish Bangarwa, the suspects were exposed by a long-running dispute over the stolen money.Inspector Ajitsinh Chavda said that after the 2012 robbery, Afzal allegedly took an additional Rs 2.50 lakh from his two partners over and above his equal share, citing an urgent financial need. He allegedly never returned the money, leading to a dispute that continued for all these years.The trio had reportedly gathered in Popatpara to settle the outstanding Rs 2.50 lakh dispute, inadvertently providing police with the opportunity to catch them.During preliminary questioning, investigators learnt that the accused did not personally know the trader but were aware that he ran a grocery business and routinely carried substantial amounts of cash after closing his shop.Following the 2012 robbery, Afzal and Rakesh had been arrested by Pradyumn Nagar police in connection with another robbery. However, when the 2012 victim was brought in for an identification parade, he failed to identify them, allowing the suspects to avoid arrest in that particular case.Police said all three accused have criminal records and are involved in a number of offences.
