3-wheeler gang that targeted kurta-pajama clad people; nabbed

This picture has been used for representational purpose only

Punjab's Ludhiana police busted a three-wheeler gang and recovered 12 stolen mobile phones and three auto-rickshaws from their possession. The three-wheeler gang robbed at least 40 people in the past two months, a police official said.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the gang used a unique modus operandi and targeted those wearing kurta-pajama as it was easy to take out cash and valuables from their pockets. The arrested accused have been identified as Sanjeev Sharma (28) of Shimlapuri, Rakesh Kumar (25), Aatma Ram (27), Karan Kumar (30), and Amarjeet Singh (34), all residents of the Pratap Nagar area.

Also Read: Mirchi gang kingpin disguised as fruit seller arrested from Vile Parle

Bhagirath Singh Meena, Joint commissioner of police said that the accused used to target people on the route between the bus stand, Clock Tower, and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. They assumed that people going to the hospital and markets near Clock Tower carried large sums of money, Meena added.

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the accused from the Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Interstate Bus Terminal. The Joint CP said that three of the accused already have cases of snatching and thefts registered against them and that the trio had come out on bail recently.

Read the latest crime stories in Mumbai and rest of India

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City 3) Sameer Verma said, "Karan Kumar and Amarjeet are the kingpins of the gang. Both own auto-rickshaws and used to drive it while the others sat posing as passengers and robbed the passengers." He further said that in most cases, the crimes were not even reported.

During the interrogation, the accused confessed of robbing at least 40 people. "It seems that people who lost lesser amounts did not lodge complaints," the ADCP added. "The accused are drug addicts and executed the crime for easy money," the ADCP said. The Division Number 5 police station registered a case under Section 379 (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code.

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news