Lift and loot: Robberies along highway on the rise again

Gangs of robbers posing as cab drivers offering rides to commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway have resurfaced despite earlier crackdowns, senior police officials said, with two incidents reported over the last two days and four incidents in this month so far

Gangs of robbers posing as cab drivers offering rides to commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway have resurfaced despite earlier crackdowns, senior police officials said, with two incidents reported over the last two days and four incidents in this month so far.

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The police said the gangs mostly target commuters between Shankar Chowk and Kherki Daula, with as many as 100 gangs from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the neighbouring district of Nuh estimated to be operational at present. A total of 14 such incidents have been reported this year.

Preet Pal Sangwan, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), said, “Robbers take advantage of the situation and people fall prey to their tactics due to a lack of public transport. We have already busted six gangs this year and arrested over 20 people. However, cases are still on the rise and gangs have become active again.”

The police said that despite several crackdowns in February and March, the gangs continue to operate by changing their modus operandi. Also, the vehicles used in the crime are stolen or robbed, and the robbers change the registration number plates to mislead the police. They also change cars frequently, the police said.

In the latest incident of robbery on Monday, a 55-year-old dairy owner was assaulted and robbed of his belongings at gunpoint around 6.30am when he tried to hitchhike from Rajeev Chowk to Kotputli in Rajasthan.

Harun Qureshi, a resident of Hira Nagar in Sector 11, said that he recently bought cattle through a dealer in Bansur village of Rajasthan, located over 120 kilometres from the city. He was on his way to make a payment of ₹2.58 lakh when the incident took place.

Qureshi flagged down a private car at Rajeev Chowk and boarded the car. Four people, including the driver, were already inside, he said. “I told them that I was going to Kotputli following which they asked me to board the car. After five minutes, two of the commuters suddenly attacked me and asked me to hand over my belongings. They kept on hitting me and snatched my mobile phone and nearly ₹2.6 lakh. It all happened within a few minutes and I could not even retaliate,” he said.

They took the U-turn before Kherki Daula toll plaza and drove towards Hero Honda Chowk and they pushed him out of the moving car and drove towards Delhi, the police said.

A case under sections 392 (robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was filed at the Sadar police station. The police said they have recovered CCTV footage from three spots and two of the suspects have been identified.

The police said that such cases have increased since lockdown curbs were eased and most of them are reported from Iffco Chowk, Shankar Chowk, Rajeev Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk and Kherki Daula in the early morning or late night hours.

Sangwan said that officers in plainclothes have been deployed at different locations to track such gangs. Usually, they change more than two cars in Gurugram to evade the police and sometimes, also travel on motorbikes after committing crimes.