Four juveniles have been apprehended for allegedly stealing a car and then going on to commit a series of armed robberies in South and South-East Delhi, despite high security on the day of elections in the national capital, police said today.
The four minors were nabbed by the Crime Branch of Delhi police yesterday from near Jawaharlal Nehru University Gate, Munirka after it received a tip off.
The gang came under police scanner after Anand Kumar registered a police complaint at Neb Sarai police station that on December 4, while returning home from his office at around 4.00 AM, four persons followed him in a Maruti Esteem car. They stopped him at IGNOU Road and robbed him of two mobile phones at knife point.
Also Read
"After registration of the FIR, during investigation it was found that similar robberies had taken place in the vicinity of South and South-East Delhi, where people were robbed of their cash and mobiles.
"A Maruti Esteem car figured in all these incidents. Later on, the said car was found abandoned in Vasant Kunj (North) area and was found stolen from Munirka village," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.
Taking into account the series of robberies in a span of few hours and that too on the day of the assembly election, the Crime Branch was tasked to nab the culprits.
The police team finally succeeded yesterday apprehending of the four juveniles, police said.
On their detailed examination, they were found to be living in Saidulazab village in South Delhi.
One of them had been earlier involved in a case of vehicle theft and remained in Juvenile Welfare Home for about 45 days. On coming out from the home, he constituted a gang under the name of 'Ali Baba' and started stealing motorcycles and cars with the help of master keys.
"During his stay in the Juvenile Welfare Home, he learnt that police cannot arrest juveniles and they cannot be treated like other criminals for the same offence, and they cannot be kept in jails also. The gang was inspired by Dhoom series of movies and tried to imitate the style and actions of the film's character's while committing robberies on bikes," said Yadav.
They disclosed that on December 4, all of them set out for a 'hunt' and found a Maruti Esteem car at Munirka village. They opened it with the help of master key and then started roaming in adjoining areas and robbed several people of their cash and mobile phones at knife point, police said.
Later, they abandoned the car, due to leakage in radiator. Four mobiles which were robbed by them were also recovered from their possession.
An R-15 Yamaha motorcycle was also recovered at their instance from a work shop at Lado Sarai, police said.
"The juveniles wanted to enjoy a lavish lifestyle, for which they started committing crimes. Influenced by the modern consumerist culture, they developed a craze for new and powerful bikes. They used the money robbed from innocent people for purchasing expensive, branded clothes and other similar stuff," said Yadav.
