Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested the alleged leader of a gang that targeted passengers by offering them rides at cheap rates in auto rickshaws near major bus terminals and railway stations, an official said on Wednesday.
The accused, Wasim alias Bandar alias Chote (54), a resident of Gandhi Nagar, was identified as the mastermind behind a series of robberies and thefts in which unsuspecting commuters were looted after boarding autos operated by the gang, he said.
“The police analysed CCTV footage and criminal dossiers before zeroing in on Wasim. A specific auto rickshaw used in the crimes has also been recovered,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said.
According to the police, the gang allegedly targeted passengers arriving at ISBTs and railway stations by offering rides at cheap rates. Midway through the journey, the auto would be halted on the pretext of a mechanical fault, after which another auto with additional associates, including a woman accomplice, would arrive.
The group then allegedly opened passengers’ bags to steal cash, mobile phones and jewellery, and in some cases, resorted to intimidation or force. Victims were later abandoned at isolated or unfamiliar locations.
The arrest has helped solve at least two recent cases, Gautam said. In a case registered at Pandav Nagar on September 28, a woman who hired an auto after alighting from a bus was robbed of her jewellery and cash before being dropped near Lajpat Nagar.
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In a case at Kamla Market on December 5, a family of three travelling to Palam was similarly targeted, with the gang stealing jewellery and cash worth around Rs 4 lakh and abandoning them near Lajpat Nagar.
The police said Wasim allegedly has a criminal history with nine previous cases related to robbery, theft and the Arms Act. In another recent incident in IP Estate, he and his associates allegedly stole Rs 20 lakh from a passenger travelling from Nizamuddin Railway Station to Anand Vihar using the same modus operandi.
Further raids are underway to trace the remaining members of the gang, police added.
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