Four members of a gang that targeted businessmen carrying cash by scaring them with toy guns in Chandni Chowk and nearby areas have been arrested by the Delhi Police.
Interestingly, one of the accused told the police that he could guess how much money a person was carrying in his pocket just by noticing his mannerisms. The man, identified as Manikant (21), would wait at tea stalls in Chandni Chowk and Kucha Ghasi Ram market areas and scan potential targets. The gang then used toy guns to scare them.
“No weapons have been recovered from the arrested men. They used toy guns to scare the victims and have claimed that these served their purpose,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma.
The gang had allegedly committed five robberies in the last four months during which they had taken away Rs.20 lakh in cash and some jewellery. Only Rs.2 lakh in cash and a gold chain have been recovered from the men.
In the five cases of robberies that have been solved so far, the gang members had been captured in CCTV camera footage on two occasions. However, the footage failed to immediately provide much clue about their identity as they all were wearing helmets.
“Even the number plates on their motorcycles had been partially covered with mud,” said Mr. Verma. The legible part of the registration numbers led them to about a hundred motorcycles with similar numbers, he added.
Finally, the police narrowed down on ten motorcycles and visited the homes of their owners. The culprits panicked on seeing the police. A search of the suspects’ houses led to the recovery of shirts and shoes of particular designs that were visible in the CCTV footage.
The police said they had held a meeting with businessmen in Chandni Chowk and nearby areas and warned them about the modus operandi of this gang. “We had advised them to send at least one other person with any employee carrying a large amount of money,” said Verma.
Some, however, ignored these warnings.
