Robbers' gang busted, 2 held

A Maharashtra-based gang, whose members allegedly used to "hypnotise" people and pose as policemen to rob them, has been smashed with the arrest of two men, police said on Saturday.

A Maharashtra-based gang, whose members allegedly used to "hypnotise" people and pose as policemen to rob them, has been smashed with the arrest of two men, police said on Saturday.

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The arrested have been identified as Sartaz Ali (50) and Sheru Hussain (35), both hail from Thane in Maharashtra, HGS Dhaliwal, deputy commissioner of police (south), said.

They had allegedly robbed a retired principal in Malviya Nagar on February 18.

"They lured her to keep her jewellery in a polythene bag by posing as police officers. They very cleverly changed the polythene bag in which the victim had kept her jewellery," Dhaliwal said.

"All members of the gang reside in Mumbai and they used to come to Delhi twice a month by air and would stay in hotels at Nizaamuddin and Pahar Ganj areas. They also bring with them their motorcycles from Mumbai by train," he said.

After committing crimes here, they would go back to Mumbai by air except Sartaz and another member.

"Sartaz would go back to Mumbai by train with the looted articles and also take back their motorcycles by train," he said.

The duo were arrested on Friday in Madangiri following a tip-off.

Sartaz's grandfather came from Iran and settled in Mumbai. "They have very good knowledge of hypnotism. Sartaz is very good in hypnotism and he formed the gang. He, along with his associates, used to roam all over India and cheat people besides crimes such as snatchings by hypnotising people," Dhaliwal said.