Ola driver, two associates robbed passengers of their valuables midway

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A 24-year-old Ola driver and his two associates were arrested for allegedly robbing passengers of their valuables midway after offering them lift at night, police said on Saturday.

The accused were identified as Pritam (24), Dinesh (24) and Anuj Kumar (22), they said.

Yesterday, the police laid a trap near a Metro Pillar in Kakrola at 8:30 pm. When a Wagon R car arrived at the spot, the police surrounded the three occupants and overpowered them. Subsequently, all the three accused were arrested, police said.

The accused, Pritam, had purchased a Wagon R car after taking loan from an acquaintance. The car was registered with Ola. The accused was finding it difficult to manage his day-to-day expenditures as his earnings had dried up in paying loan amount.

To fulfil his desires, the accused started indulging in petty thefts, said Anto Alphonse, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Pritam's associates Dinesh and Anuj nurtured similar desires. So, they hired an accommodation and hatched a conspiracy to loot people. They began by offering lifts in the cab to stranded passengers at night.

Pritam drove the cab while Dinesh and Anuj sat as co-passengers. After offering lift to unsuspecting passengers and travelling some distance, they waylaid and robbed them of money, mobile phones and other valuables, the DCP said.

The Wagon R car used in the crime and a robbed mobile phone of a passenger was recovered from their possession, the officer said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed they robbed cash and mobile phone of an elderly person and dropped him near Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology in Dwarka, he said.

They have disclosed about their involvements in a few other incidents as well. Further investigation is underway, the officer added.

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