E-Paper
Notorious Irani Gang strikes again in Ludhiana
Police suspect that members of the gang, who had been personating police officials, had stolen jewellery from a man delivering the items to a store near the municipal corporation building
The notorious Irani Gang, which was responsible for a slew of robberies committed in the garb of policemen in 2018 and 2019, has become active in Ludhiana once again. The gang had laid low in 2020 amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Police suspect that members of the gang, who had been personating police officials, had stolen jewellery from a man delivering the items to a store near the municipal corporation building here on Wednesday. The gang is known to have committed similar robberies in the past.
Of the 41 people known to be associated with the gang, four were spotted in Ludhiana. Police on Thursday conducted a foot patrol of markets in the Old City area on Tuesday and circulated pictures of the suspects among traders. They also raided inns and hotels to trace the suspects.
The victim, Mukesh Kumar of Chandigarh, had said that he had come to Ludhiana to deliver jewellery to a shop in Sarafa Bazaar. He had parked his vehicle in a multi-level parking of the municipal corporation and had started walking towards the market when a man claiming to be a cop stopped him. The imposter led him to a corner on the pretext of frisking, where three of his accomplices were already present. The accused was let go after frisking.
When Mukesh opened his bag after reaching Sarafa Bazaar he was shocked to find two boxes of jewelry were missing. He immediately lodged an FIR against the accused at the Division 1 police station.
Commissioner of police Rakesh Agarwal asked the public to be ware as they personate police personnel and rob traders on the pretext of frisking them.
The kingpin of the gang Lallu Khani Irani, also known as Bulldozer, Siyaz, has been arrested by the Ludhiana police. He is facing trial in at least 44 cases.
“Members of the Irani Gang had migrated to India from Balochistan over a century ago. Most members of the community are involved in robberies, snatchings and burglaries. They reside in small slum areas in Boriwali, Malad, Thane of Mumbai and in Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh and follow their own rules and rituals.”
In 2019, after executing crime in the city, the gang had gone to Patiala, Ambala, Panipat, Delhi and then returned to Mumbai.
The gang had also executed snatchings in Bengaluru and Chennai, besides parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. A hunt is on for their arrest.
