Trader Harishchandra Patil is still recovering from Saturday night's dacoity, which cost him 25 tolas of gold, cash and his self-confidence. Armed intruders stormed his Bhayander residence and looted him, leaving him injured.

Patil's maybe an isolated attack, but cops see a definite link between numerous such incidents along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch. There have been eight reported dacoity cases, all targetting jeweller homes. Four other highway dacoities too have been reported. "I have stopped driving after dark," Santosh Chavan from Virar, a regular on this stretch, said.

Police suspect at least three splinter groups belonging to a particular tribe known for dacoities. SP (Rural), Thane, Naval Bajaj, said the same people could be behind the Saturday night attack. Investigations also reveal an unusual trend. "The gangs usually watched violent films at one of the many ubiquitous parlours in Thane district before the raids," Bajaj said.

In almost all cases, the gangs were back after spending a few weeks in hiding.
It is not only looting passengers, but bootlegging liquor from Daman is also a thriving business for many in the areas. Bajaj says patrolling on the highway has been intensified. "The culprits were arrested last year. You can't say whether another group is back in the area,'' he added.

Motorists also find it unsafe to travel along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway after nightfall. They fear robbers lurking in the forests could strike anytime. A survey revealed there are no lights along the highway stretching from Vasai to Talasari. The dense forest on either side provides excellent cover for gangs of robbers to hide after strikes. Talasari, Kasa and Manor are the few police stations along the highway in Thane district. There are less than 60 police personnel manning the far-flung outposts in the area.