Member of inter-state gang of robbers arrested in Delhi

A 37-year-old man, who is a member of a Mewat-based gang of robbers, was arrested from southwest Delhis Dhaula Kuan area, police said on Thursday. While interrogating Shakir, it was learnt that on the intervening night of June 5 and 6, he along with seven others had stolen a truck with cattle from Delhi, they said.

A 37-year-old man, who is a member of a Mewat-based gang of robbers, was arrested from southwest Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan area, police said on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Shakir, a resident of Faridabad in Haryana, they said.

Police got information that he would come near the Dhaula Kuan bus stand on the Ring Road on Wednesday. Following this, a team tracked him and apprehended him around 11:45 pm, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said. A country-made pistol with three lcartridges has been seized from him, police said. While interrogating Shakir, it was learnt that on the intervening night of June 5 and 6, he along with seven others had stolen a truck with cattle from Delhi, they said. Police had chased the stolen truck to the nab them. But at Khyala, Shakir and his associates threw stones and bottles at a police van to slow it down. They did not stop doing so even when more police vans joined the chase, police said.

After a while, during the chase, they started throwing cattle from the truck, and later, they left the truck in Rithala and fled from the spot, they said. In another incident, on the intervening night of May 17 and 18, Shakir with five to six of his associates rammed through barricades at a picket in Bharat Nagar area. In the incident, a constable and a home guard were seriously injured. Constable Naresh later succumbed to injuries, police said. The modus operandi of the gang is to rob cars and mini trucks at gunpoint. They use these vehicles for committing robbery or dacoity on highways in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, police said. Shakir was earlier arrested in over 13 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, and those under the Arms Act, the Cattle Slaughtering Act and the Cruelty to Animals Act in Delhi and Haryana, they said. Efforts are being made to arrest remaining members of the gang, police added.