A surprise video call and a well-timed screenshot led the Delhi Police to nab two teenage robbers, solving at least seven cases of robbery and vehicle theft.
The hunt for the two accused began after the police received a complaint of two men robbing a Delhi resident of his mobile phone and ₹20,000 at knife-point.
The two 19-year-olds accused of the robbery, identified as Harsh and Ashish alias "Suchha", have been arrested over the weekend.
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Police said that the two were nabbed after the complainant's sister video-called the stolen number, which was answered by one of the accused.
"With their arrest, we have solved at least seven cases of robbery and vehicle theft," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said in a statement.
Screenshot that led to the arrest of teenage robbers
The breakthrough in the investigation into the series of robberies across the national capital was achieved after a robbery was reported on July 17 near a government school in Gurdyal Vihar. The victim told police that two men held him at knifepoint and stole his mobile phone and ₹20,000 in cash.
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{{/usCountry}}Soon after, the victim's sister called the stolen number on a whim — and to her shock, one of the robbers actually answered. She immediately took a screenshot of the video call, capturing clear visuals of the suspect's face.
"Team scanned CCTV footage from the vicinity and received a breakthrough when the complainant's sister video-called the stolen number, which was answered by one of the accused. She managed to capture screenshots of the suspects during the video call, providing a vital visual lead," Sharma said.
On Sunday, a police team spotted two men on a numberless motorcycle near the Nala Road behind the Shudhanshu Ashram, which matched the description of the man on the video call.
"When signalled to stop, they tried to flee but were chased and overpowered by the team members," the officer said.
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When they were searched, one of them, Harsh, was found carrying a knife, while the other, Ashish, had a country-made pistol with a live cartridge.
"The motorcycle they were riding was confirmed stolen, with the engine and chassis number matching an entry in an FIR registered on March 14 at Ranhola Police Station," said the DCP.
During interrogation, the two confessed to stealing vehicles from across southwest Delhi and using them for snatchings and robberies. The officer said five stolen motorcycles and one autorickshaw were recovered from their possession, as was a country-made pistol, a knife, and a live cartridge.
Accused's criminal history
During interrogation, the two confessed to stealing vehicles from across southwest Delhi and using them for snatchings and robberies.
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The motorcycles and autorickshaws recovered at their instance were linked to cases registered across Ranhola, Vikas Puri, Paschim Vihar, and Najafgarh police stations.
The accused revealed that they would use the robbed money to buy drugs and fund "short-term luxuries."