NAVI MUMBAI, Aug. 7 -- After a spree of armed robberies in Pali where at least seven houses were targeted between July 26 and 27, the police finally arrested six men, with the seventh still on the run. During the reported dacoities, elderly residents were threatened with weapons like choppers, and looted of jewellery and valuables. Following the incidents at the Hatond and Gondav villages, the local crime branch and the Pali police in Raigad formed a 10-member special investigation team (SIT). For a week the team surveyed the area, gathered information, and then they tracked down the accused and arrested them. The investigation revealed the gang's modus operandi where one member would pose as a vegetable vendor and move through remote villages. The police said, "During these rounds, the accused surveyed homes to identify vulnerable targets, particularly elderly residents or women wearing jewellery." Once the recce had been done, the gang would break into the house at night, the police added. Superintendent of the Raigad police, Anchal Dala, "This is a classic case of blending into society to commit targeted crimes. We are committed to exposing every link in this chain." When the accused were interrogated the police found that they had been committing other robberies in Muradabad and Takwade in rural Thane too. The police are investigating the gang's involvement in similar crimes across the state. The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay Chavan, 23, the alleged mastermind, with multiple criminal cases registered against him across Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Nashik, and Beed. Others include Akash Chavan, 20, Sunil Chavan, 32, Malhari Chavan, 30, Somnath Chavan, 30, and Sujal Chavan, 19. Each of them have charges against them for theft, assault, and sexual offences. The accused were produced before a judicial magistrate on Wednesday and have been remanded to seven days in police custody....