Man held for allegedly robbing patients, others

A 42-year-old man was arrested for allegedly masterminding a gang specialising in robbing patients admitted in hospitals, passengers at railway stations and bus terminals, including army officers, after offering their victims eatables and beverages laced with sedatives, police said.

A 42-year-old man was arrested for allegedly masterminding a gang specialising in robbing patients admitted in hospitals, passengers at railway stations and bus terminals, including army officers, after offering their victims eatables and beverages laced with sedatives, police said.

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Identifying the accused as Raju Jain, a resident of north Delhi's Daryaganj area, deputy commissioner of police (south) Chhaya Sharma said Jain's gang had been responsible for at least 50 such incidents till date.

"On April 18, we got information regarding the robbing of an old lady at the OPD ward in the Safdarjung Hospital. Identified as Maya Devi, on enquiry, it was found that her cash and jewellery had been robbed after she was drugged," explained a senior police officer.

Almost a month after the incident, on May 19, officers investigating the matter received a tip-off about Jain's alleged involvement in similar incidents previously. So, around 2pm, Jain was arrested as soon as he reached the hospital.

According to the police, on sustained interrogation, Jain confessed to have robbed the old lady at the said hospital and disclosed that he had come to Delhi about five years ago and had shortly come in contact with an old man, whom he called 'guru', who taught him the art of befriending strangers and how to offer them eatables laced with drugs before robbing them.

"After the death of his guru, he formed a gang and robbed people," the officer added.