Delhi cops make an April fool of Mewati ATM thief

On Monday, the police team members dressed up as villagers — some in lungi-kurta and a few in loose pyjamas — to appear as members of another Mewati gang. When the suspect arrived to steal cash from an ATM in Uttam Nagar, on the pretext of sharing the booty, the police team locked him in the ATM kiosk and later arrested him.

This April Fool’s Day, a team of Delhi Police from Dwarka made a fool of a Mewati ATM thief wanted in a series of cases in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi.

On Monday, the police team members dressed up as villagers — some in lungi-kurta and a few in loose pyjamas — to appear as members of another Mewati gang. When the suspect arrived to steal cash from an ATM in Uttam Nagar, on the pretext of sharing the booty, the police team locked him in the ATM kiosk and later arrested him.

The police have identified the man as 45-year-old Mohammad Aslam, a resident of Ram Park in Loni, Ghaziabad.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said his team received information that Aslam, who is wanted in a series of ATM thefts, will reach Uttam Nagar area to recee an ATM kiosk.

“We knew that Aslam is a Mewati criminal. In order to trap him, our men got dressed up in lungi-kurta. They also donned a bandana like Mewatis usually do. Around 9pm, the police team spotted Aslam at the ATM. When Aslam saw the disguised policemen, he believed them to be Mewati criminals and agreed to share the cash stolen from the ATM,” Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said.

Police said all of them headed to the ATM, and the policemen tricked him and locked him inside the ATM kiosk. He was then overpowered and arrested.

DCP Alphonse said, “Mohammad Aslam admitted that he hails from village Karanda in Mewat. He said he was involved in multiple cases of ATM thefts in Kanpur, UP and also in Karnataka. He said he used different names every time the police caught him to hide his criminal past.”

Police said, in 2012, Aslam along with his associates tried to steal cash from an ATM in Maurya Enclave but the security guard opened fired at them in which one of his associates was killed.

Later, Aslam was also arrested but he absconded from police custody during trial.

The court had declared him a proclaimed offender, police said.