(Top) Some of the robbers after their arrest; the arms recovered. Pictures by UB Photos

Shillong, Oct. 8: Meghalaya police have arrested a six-member gang for allegedly looting from passengers who were travelling on a bus on Monday.

Around 4.45 on Monday morning, six masked men looted passengers who were on their way to the state capital from Phodkroh.

The men looted cash amounting to around Rs 2,82,000 and other items from the passengers after the bus was waylaid at Laitumsaw village, around 95km from here, under Mawsynram police station in East Khasi Hills, superintendent of police M. Kharkrang said.

Apart from looting from the bus, the men had also allegedly looted passengers of a Maruti car.

However, Kharkrang said the victims could not give much clues except that the criminals were speaking in Khasi and Nepali.

Considering the seriousness of the crime, Kharkrang said the special cell of his office had taken up the case and the first arrest was made in less than 24 hours.

Pynshai Rani alias Newstar Kharbani, 32, of Umpling locality here, who is allegedly the leader of the gang, was the first to be arrested last night.

Following his arrest, the other five members — Balbir Singh, 26, Raju Biswas, 35 and Monu Singh, 23, all of Sweeper Lane at Iewduh, Govind Chettry, 38, of Lumkshaid, Mawprem and Phrangkupar Nongrang, 38, of Mawlai Phudmawrie — were also arrested.

The police seized one countrymade revolver, three daggers, cash of Rs 28,500, four stolen mobile phones, a gold ring, which was smelted from the gold stolen from the passengers, and a local taxi which was used by them to escape from the crime scene.

“All the arrested persons were earlier arrested for dacoity and robbery. Pynshai Rani was detained under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) in 2004 and again in 2007. He had escaped from custody in 2007 but was again arrested. He has more than 15 pending cases against him in different courts,” Kharkrang said. Raju Biswas was earlier arrested for robbery and murder, he added.