Seven members of ‘Pardi gang’ arrested on way to commit robbery in central Delhi

Police said they also recovered three country made pistols, nine cartridges, four knives and house breaking equipment from them, adding that they have solved a case of burglary in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar about a fortnight ago with the arrest.

Seven members of the “Pardi gang”, belonging to an eponymous tribal group in Madhya Pradesh considered to be one of the oldest groups primarily involved in burglaries, were arrested on Thursday night from near Vijay Ghat in central Delhi where, police said, they had assembled to commit a night burglary.

Interrogation of the arrested men revealed that they had come to Delhi along with 20 more gang members, including women, around one and a half months ago. (Representative image)

Police said they also recovered three country made pistols, nine cartridges, four knives and house breaking equipment from them, adding that they have solved a case of burglary in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar about a fortnight ago with the arrest.

The gang, also known as the “kachha-baniyan gang” because of its members choice of attire while committing burglaries, was active in Delhi-NCR for years but the continuous police crackdown on the gang over the past forced them to shift base to other states. Senior police officers said the recent Covid-19 lockdowns brought the gang’s presence in the Capital further down, adding that they resurfaced once the restrictions were lifted.

Senior police officers said that the gang, which is believed to have been actively involved in criminal activities since the British era, were among the most dreaded in the Capital due to their brutal violence. The last recorded incident of violence by this gang in Delhi was in July 2014, when five men murdered a woman and grievously injured her mother, before fleeing with their belongings in Narela.

Over the years, human rights activists have decried the use of the name of the tribe to identify the gang, noting that it defames the entire community.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Monika Bhardwaj said that the crime branch’s special investigation unit-1 (SIU-1) recently received information that members of the gang had begun their criminal activities in Delhi. Subsequently, the team gathered information and learnt that some members of the gang were planning to assemble at Delhi Chalo Park near Vijay Ghat and burgle a house nearby.

“Our team members laid a trap and caught seven suspects at around 11.30pm on Thursday with illegal weapons and house breaking equipment. Those arrested were identified as C Nikhil Dass (24), Samrat (22), Shravan Raj (22), Ramdas (34), Shiv Pratap (23), Sindbaj (23), and Shaktiman (22), all from Guna district in Madhya Pradesh. They members were previously involved in cases related to burglaries, planning dacoity and attempt to murder in Madhya Pradesh,” said DCP Bhardwaj.

Interrogation of the arrested men revealed that they had come to Delhi along with 20 more gang members, including women, around one and a half months ago. Police said some of them were staying on pavements outside Sarai Rohilla and Old Delhi railway stations, while the rest were camped below a flyover in Khajuri Khas in northeast Delhi. However, they had fled from the spots by the time police raided the areas.

Explaining their modus operandi, the DCP said the gang posed as balloon and toy sellers during the day to identify potential targets which they subsequently burgled at night.

“They enter the house by removing the grill of the window or breaking the doors. While committing the burglaries, they wear only a vest and underwear and apply oil or grease on their bodies to make them hard to catch. To make sure the target house is empty, they first target the house with a slingshot. The burglars also carry arms with them in case situation worsens. Children, teenagers and women are also involved in the gang. They usually target gold and cash kept in the house,” added DCP Bhardwaj.