Thieves who pretended to be deaf and mute arrested in Delhi

The duo was arrested earlier by the Gurgaon police last month, but was discharged by the court, allegedly because language barrier had hampered the interrogation process and had not led to the recovery of any stolen goods.

Two young men from Andhra Pradesh who speak only Telugu have been arrested for stealing from several Delhi homes after gaining easy access by pretending to be deaf and mute.

The two thieves from Andhra Pradesh struck in Delhi.

The duo was earlier arrested by the Gurgaon Police last month but was discharged by the court, allegedly because language barrier had hampered the interrogation process and had not led to the recovery of any stolen goods, said Chinmoy Biswal, Additional DCP (South).

But when the Delhi Police nabbed the accused and found themselves struggling to interrogate them, they roped in sub-inspector Anil Rathod, a native of Hyderabad. That led to the recovery of several stolen items and evidence of their involvement in the crimes, said the officer.

The accused have been identified as V Babu, 19, and Yarampally Laksmarayya, 20. Their young faces made few people suspect them when they visited from house to house to pick their targets.

Having rehearsed well, the duo, along with their third associate who is on the run, could easily pose as deaf and mute men. Carrying fake medical certificates of the disabilities they claimed to be affected with, no one suspected them until duped.

They would also carry pamphlets claiming they were spreading awareness and would ask for donations. When the occupant of the house would walk inside, the duo would quietly slip inside, gather the valuables they could land their hands on and flee.

When the South Delhi police received a few complaints bearing the stamp of the same suspects, they formed a team led by Neb Sarai SHO, Kuldeep Singh, to catch the culprits. While probing the case, they learnt about Gurgaon Police catching some persons of the same description early this year.

Their help was sought to know about their hideouts. A police team subsequently conducted searches in Nizamuddin and Sarai Kale Khan areas before catching the suspects. Their third associate, also suspected to be the mastermind, is alleged to have fled to Andhra Pradesh.