New Delhi: Almost every day, they robbed
bus passengers of around Rs 30-50,000 and a number of mobile
phones but luck ran out for 11 members of "Karate" gang in the
capital while they were planning a heist.
The gang members were arrested from Rohini yesterday
following an input that they will gather and conspire to
highjack a bus and rob passengers, Chhaya Sharma, Deputy
Commissioner of Police (Outer), said.
"We laid a trap on the basis of a tip off. One of the
police party overheard the conversation of the gang. They
decided that seven of them would board the bus and the rest
will follow them on TSRs and motorcycles," Sharma said.
The arrested have been identified as Nand Kishore
alias 'Karate' (38), Ajid Hussain (34), Man Singh (32), Mukesh
(35), Sanjay (22), Manoj (19), Virender (19), Niraj (22), Ajay
(23), Ram Achal (42) and Sumit (23).
Kishore, previously involved in at least 30 cases,
used to insist that all members should "come prepared" for
committing crime with knives or surgical blades.
"They all used to communicate with each other on
mobiles phones and never visit the house of others. Even they
do not know the addresses of others so that in case of being
apprehended one could not lead to the arrest of others,"
Sharma said.
Twenty-nine mobile phones, two autorickshaws, two
motorcycles, ten knives and a surgical blade were recovered
from them.
Since the last four months, the gang, on a routine
basis, used to board buses plying between Budh Vihar to
Shivaji Stadium, Manglapuri to Azad Pur, Uttam Nagar to ISBT
and Mangolpuri to Kamla Market and commit pick pocketing,
Sharma said, adding that they operated between 8 am and one pm
and 8 pm and 11 pm.
"On an average, they used to pick pocket or rob Rs
30,000 to 50,000 and a number of mobile phones from bus
passengers on a day," Sharma said.
They allegedly used to flash their weapons to rob and
to make away. "Maximum part of robbed booty was used by them
to gift valuables to their girl friends and spend time with
sex workers," Sharma said.
Hussain, Sumit and Man Singh are auto drivers while
Mukesh is working as a Band Master in Mangolpuri. Bunti and
Neeraj are labourers in a factory while Virender owns an
electric appliances shop.
All of them have been previously involved in crimes.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 11, 2011, 20:23