Two snatchers held with stolen bike during checking in central Delhi

The suspects were on a snatching spree and had stolen two iPhones – one from a DU employee and the other from a DU student — and then a third cellphone from a passerby in Mukherjee Nagar, the officer said.

Two men allegedly stole a high-speed KTM bike from central Delhi’s Nabi Karim on Monday morning and went on a snatching spree — they allegedly snatched three mobile phones from three persons, including a Delhi University student and the varsity employee — in a radius of around three kilometres between Mukherjee Nagar and DU North Campus, police said.

Overjoyed by their “success”, the duo continued the snatching spree the next day as well. But this time, they landed in the police net in north Delhi’s Sangam Vihar near Wazirabad. (Representative image)

Overjoyed by their “success”, the duo continued the snatching spree the next day as well. But this time, they landed in the police net in north Delhi’s Sangam Vihar near Wazirabad. A few police personnel were conducting random vehicle checks there and managed to nab the duo, the police said.

“The surprise vehicle checking was being done after the Wazirabad police station received information that two criminals involved in robbery and snatching were in the neighbourhood,” said deputy commissioner of police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi.

Around 4pm, the DCP said, the police team spotted two men on a KTM bike with its registration plate missing. When the personnel asked the bikers to stop, they tried to escape. However, the team surrounded the suspects and overpowered them. They were asked for the KTM bike’s ownership papers, which they could not produce.

“When the two were searched, one of them was found in possession of a loaded countrymade pistol. They were taken into custody and upon verification, the KTM bike was found stolen from Nabi Karim area on February 28. The two confessed to stealing the bike for committing snatchings. Thereafter, a case was registered and the two, identified as Mohammad Monis,26, and Namiruddin,22, were arrested,” said Kalsi.

During interrogation, a senior police officer said, the two disclosed that after stealing the bike around 6am from Nabi Karim, they went to DU’s North Campus. Between 7.10am and 9am, they snatched two iPhones – one from a DU employee and the other from a DU student — and then a third cellphone from a passerby in Mukherjee Nagar, the officer said.

“Interrogation of the arrested men led to the recovery of the two iPhones and a scooter that they had stolen from Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG) Road area in September 2021. Eight cases of snatching and vehicle theft have been solved with their arrest,” Kalsi said.