Three youths were arrested in the capital on Friday with police claiming to have solved five cases of petrol pump loots that took place in different parts of the city in the months of January and February.

Acting on a tip-off, Kotwali police rounded up Md Imtiyaz Alam (22) of Doranda, Md Mahtab Alam (26) of Pithoria and Kudrat Ansari (24) Dhurwa near Ranchi Lake.

Police found a country-made gun, a 9mm pistol and eight rounds of bullets on them.

Briefing the media about the breakthrough at his official residence at Morabadi, SSP Prabhat Kumar said the gang had looted total Rs 5 lakh at gunpoint from the pumps. Three of the five loots were reported in Argora, Ratu and Nagri areas on the same day, February 7, while the two others took place at Nagri on January 15 and at Doranda on January 23. "They had struck three bunks, one after another, within an hour on February 7," the SSP said.

Kumar said the trio were arrested when they were going towards Kishoreganj on a motorbike.

"During interrogation in custody, they confessed to have committed the loots. We corroborated their statement with the CCTV footage collected from the petrol pumps," the SP added.

Assault cuffs

Two persons were arrested on Friday for thrashing a 25-year-old man, who was caught in a compromising position with a 15-year-old girl in a farmland at Bargain, around 12km from the city, on Thursday night.

Police arrested Suresh Oraon and his son Mithun for beating Ashok Mahto, who is currently admitted to Medica hospital. A separate FIR has been lodged against Ashok too on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl.

"The youth had allegedly dragged the girl to the field behind her house when she was returning from a marriage part, drawing the wrath of her father Suresh and brother Mithun," said an officer at Sadar thana.#

Action against Ashok would be initiated after probe, he added.