Cabbie gangs resurface as travel curbs eased

Following the easement of curbs on travel, ‘cabbie gangs’ that rob commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, by offering shared rides, have resurfaced, the police

Following the easement of curbs on travel, ‘cabbie gangs’ that rob commuters along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, by offering shared rides, have resurfaced, the police said. At least three such incidents were reported last week and the police have registered FIRs in the cases.

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The police said the gangs have been targeting commuters at Iffco Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Shankar Chowk.

A police official from the crime branch, requesting anonymity, said, “With the borders opening up and restrictions on lockdown relatively eased, the gangs are operational again. The commuter is typically picked up from a busy stretch on the highway and offered a drop to Delhi, Sohna, Nuh and regions bordering the city for ₹40-50. Shortly after, the car deviates from the route and the victim is asked to hand over his phone and reveal his ATM Pin, often at gunpoint. In certain cases, the victims are assaulted, gagged and threatened with knives. They are dropped several hours later in a deserted area.”

Earlier this week, an accountant was taken hostage in a cab and robbed of ₹87,000 after he had taken a cab from Iffco Chowk. On June 8, Praveen Kumar, a Delhi resident, who works at a construction company in Manesar, was waiting for a cab at Iffco Chowk when a vehicle pulled up, offering him a ride. Two men were sitting in the vehicle. After driving for a few metres, one of them, who had a gun, started assaulting Kumar and asked him to handover his watch, mobile phone, wallet and ring. He was later dropped on the highway.

Most people rely on shared cab rides due to lack of public and private transport options and cheaper fares.

Kanhai Ram, a victim of a snatching incident at Rajiv Chowk on Saturday, said, “Uber and Ola cabs are available but they are expensive and sometimes, refuse the commute to the destination, citing lockdown restrictions. The Metro is still not operational. I have to depend on the shared cab rides to commute to work as it is cheap and convenient,” said Ram.

Subash Boken, spokesperson, city police, said, “At least three crime branch teams have been tasked with surveillance of key stretches to nab the accused. It is not certain if the same gang is behind these recent incidents or multiple gangs are involved.”