Two held for nine robberies and vehicle thefts in Delhi, Ghaziabad

The arrested duo along with their three associates had at gunpoint robbed a property dealer of his gold chain, bracelet and ring outside his residence in central Delhi’s Rajender Nagar on June 8.

Two members of a gang led by jailed gangster Saddam Gauri were arrested for allegedly committing a series of nine robberies and carjacking reported in Delhi and Ghaziabad in the recent past, the Delhi Police said on Tuesday. A stolen car that they used in the crimes was recovered along with a semi-automatic pistol, five cartridges, a scooter and stolen gold chain and ring, they said.

Police arrested three people for an alleged theft at a house Chandigarh’s Sector 10. (HT File)

The arrested duo along with their three associates had at gunpoint robbed a property dealer named Nitin Dhawan of his gold chain, bracelet and ring outside his residence in central Delhi’s Rajender Nagar on June 8. The armed robbery was captured in a CCTV camera installed near the crime scene. Dhawan was with his friends when the crime took place around 10.25 pm.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Anil Chaudhary, had also tweeted the video footage of the robbery and sought intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah to check crimes in Delhi.

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Shweta Chauhan said that the incident created an atmosphere of fear among prominent citizens and UPSC aspirants living in Rajender Nagar area. Therefore, the district’s anti-auto theft squad (AATS), was also roped in to solve the case by identifying and arresting the suspects, she said.

“On the day of the crime, the suspects had committed another robbery in Hari nagar area. The team worked hard for five days and scanned scores of CCTV cameras covering a distance of 20 kms from Rajender Nagar to Dabri. The team members spotted the car used in the two robberies parked on the roadside in Dabri. The two suspects were caught when they came to pick the vehicle on Monday,” said a police officer, associated with the probe.

The arrested men were identified as Mohammad Mustakim, 25 and Mehandi Hasan,35, both from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. They earlier worked as street hawkers and sold sarees and other ladies garments. They later joined members of Saddam Gauri gang and began committing street crimes. The other three suspects, Sultan, Shavej and another person whose name is not known, are still absconding, the police said.