Nagpur: Police have arrested a history-sheeter who was allegedly plotting to eliminate a former jail co-inmate outside the Central Jail gate and recovered two country-made pistols, five magazines, and a cache of live ammunition allegedly sourced from Madhya Pradesh.The accused, identified as Yogesh Siriah (28), had been absconding and remained underground for several days before being nabbed by the crime branch’s anti-vehicle theft squad (AVTS) following a tip-off about his movements. Investigators suspect Siriah was part of an interstate arms supply network with links to Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.Acting on specific information, a team led by senior inspector Dilip Chandan laid a trap and arrested Siriah from outside a xerox centre in Dharampeth. A search led to the seizure of two country-made pistols, five magazines, 14 live rounds, and two mobile phones, with the total value of the recovered property estimated at over Rs 1.30 lakh.Police said Siriah was allegedly the mastermind behind a plot to murder his former prison rival Vishal Meshram shortly after the latter’s release from jail. The plan, however, was foiled due to the presence and intervention of Meshram’s aides. Sources said the two had developed a rivalry during their incarceration.The arrest follows the crime branch’s Aug crackdown in which accused Akash Thapa was arrested with three firearms. During questioning, Thapa allegedly named Siriah and another accused, Abhay, as the suppliers of the weapons.According to police, Siriah went underground soon after Thapa’s arrest in Jaripatka. During interrogation, he claimed to have procured the firearms from one Ajju, a resident of Khadan Wasti in Sadar, who was later allegedly murdered.However, investigators believe the gun-running operation extends beyond local contacts. Police sources said Siriah was allegedly in regular touch with an arms dealer based in Khandwa, from whom he is suspected of sourcing weapons for supply to criminals in Nagpur.Police also said Siriah has a history of alleged involvement in the sale and distribution of mephedrone (MD).DCP (Crime) Deepak Aggarwal, who supervised the operation along with ACP Vaibhav Jadhav, said Siriah had been under surveillance for several days before the trap was sprung.“He was a key link between arms suppliers from other states and local criminals. His arrest could help us uncover several parallel networks and leads connected to the illegal arms trade,” Aggarwal said.
