Alert cop catches bike-lifter red-handed

While chasing a traffic norm violator on a two-wheeler, the Delhi traffic police’s head constable of the chase and challan squad, Budhpal Singh, apprehended a habitual bike-lifter — Firoz Alam — on Monday morning.

While chasing a traffic norm violator on a two-wheeler, the Delhi traffic police’s head constable of the chase and challan squad, Budhpal Singh, apprehended a habitual bike-lifter — Firoz Alam — on Monday morning.

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The police caught Alam (36) — a resident of Rampur Village in Bihar — at Azadpur Chowk, when he was trying to flee with a black-coloured Honda Unicorn, bearing the registration number DL 4S BF 6869. Alam had lifted the car from Rana Pratap Bagh.

“I noticed him driving the motorcycle without a helmet. He had also jumped the red light. I immediately started chasing him on my motorcycle and caught him about 100m ahead,” said Singh, who has been with the Delhi traffic police since 2008.

When Alam was apprehended, initially, he introduced himself as Vinod. He, however, failed to produce any valid document such as his driving licence or the registration certificate.

“Singh noticed that two digits of his bike’s number plate were omitted. He then asked him to show valid documents that had his name, failing which, Alam admitted that he had told Singh a wrong name. He also told him that he has been earlier arrested in several vehicle theft cases as well,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

According to the information available with the police, Alam has been arrested at least seven times for similar offences and has also served a jail term of 11 months. He was released from the jail about two months ago.

Commissioner of Police BK Gupta has sanctioned a cash reward of Rs 5,000 and commendation certificate for Singh’s alertness and quick action that helped him catch the criminal, said sources.