Residents fear return of notorious cabbie gang

The recent spurt in attacks on passengers hiring a shared taxi has revived horrific memories of the highway gang which murdered over two dozen people in 2006. Leena Dhankhar

The recent spurt in attacks on passengers hiring a shared taxi has revived horrific memories of the highway gang which murdered over two dozen people in 2006.

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On Tuesday, a Sector 10 resident was beaten and robbed by the notorious ‘cab gang’ after he took a lift from Iffco Chowk.

The police are still groping in the dark even as the assailants roam freely, probably looking for their next target.

Using similar modus operandi, the highway gang used to make 3-4 criminals board as passengers along with their victim. On a lonely stretch, they would rob and murder the innocent person. The number of murders went up to 26 before the accused were arrested.

Despite being aware of the risks, people are often forced to take these shared cabs for want of an effective public transport system in the city.

Resident Anjoo Singh said, “I often travel by the Metro and take an auto while coming back home but now I am scared to venture out, especially at night.”

Other residents echo her sentiments and say they feel increasingly unsafe with rising cases of street crimes and the police being unable to contain criminals.

Earlier this year, a trader was beaten and looted when he took a cab from Iffco Chowk to go to Alwar.

In another incident in September, a Manesar resident fell prey to a similar trap but the police, however, neglected the nature of crime and registered a case of theft which till date remains unsolved.