Lift-and-loot crimes on the rise, four robberies reported in first days of July

Incidents of lift-and-loot, wherein robbers posing as cab drivers offer lifts to commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, have increased, the police said, with two incidents reported in the past four days, taking the count to four incidents so far this month

Incidents of lift-and-loot, wherein robbers posing as cab drivers offer lifts to commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, have increased, the police said, with two incidents reported in the past four days, taking the count to four incidents so far this month.

Four lift-and-loot incidents have been reported this month. (Representative image/Shutterstock)

The police said that the gangs mainly target commuters between Shankar Chowk and Kherki Daula and that around 100 gangs from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the neighbouring district of Nuh are operational at present. A total of 20 robberies by cab drivers have been reported this year.

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

In the latest incident last Friday, a 35-year-old sales and marketing executive of a private company was assaulted and robbed of his belongings at gunpoint around 11.30am when he tried to hitchhike from Rajeev Chowk to Naraina in Delhi.

The victim, identified as Shashank Pandey, of Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, who lives in a rented accommodation in Sector 47, was robbed of his belongings.

Pandey flagged down a Brezza, which had a private registration number and four people in it, at Rajeev Chowk. “I told them that I was going to Naraina, 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 snatched my diamond ring and gold chain worth ₹2 lakh. It all happened within a few minutes and I could not even retaliate,” he said.

They took the U-turn before Iffco Chowk and drove towards Hero Honda Chowk. They pushed him out of the moving car near the Sukhrali flyover 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 Civil Lines 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 despite several crackdowns in February, March, May and June, 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. They also change cars frequently, the police said.

Sangwan said that officers in plainclothes are deployed at locations along the expressway to track such gangs.