Footage of ‘left-handed’ vandal leads cops to six masked men who damaged CATS ambulances

The CATS ambulance drivers were protesting the government’s decision to outsource the operation of the ambulance service.

On Saturday afternoon, two CATS ambulances were vandalised near the Burari transport. Tracking the case, police scanned CCTV footage of the incident in which masked men were vandalising the ambulances. Then they chanced upon a clue — one seemed to be a left-hander.

ADCP Singh said that the same set of men were involved in vandalism of ambulances in four other parts of the city earlier. (HT image)

Harendra Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (north district) said, “We began keeping a watch at the protesting ambulance drivers outside Vikas Bhawan. We had inkling that the vandals were probably one among them and would visit their colleagues.”

The CATS ambulance drivers were protesting the government’s decision to outsource the operation of the ambulance service.

“On Monday, a policeman noticed one of the suspects wearing the same dress that was worn by a vandal. He interacted with him further to confirm that he was a left-handed man. During questioning, he confessed to the crime and revealed the identities of his associates,” said the officer, identifying the particular left-handed man as Sanjay, a driver working on contract with CATS ambulances.

“Police cases had been registered after each of those incidents, but the suspects had remained unidentified,” said the officer.

In the latest vandalism case,the officer said, “While the drivers of the ambulances were paying for fuel, six masked men smashed the windscreens of the vehicles and pelted stones on them.”

Police said that the suspects were booked under the section pertaining to prevention of damage to public property and have been sent to jail for 14 days.