The Hindu : New Delhi News : Burglars' gang smashed, nine arrested

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Burglars' gang smashed, nine arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 19. Nine alleged burglars who fired at a Crime Branch team while trying to escape were arrested from Rohini in North-West Delhi on Sunday. The police recovered jewellery worth Rs. 3 lakhs, a Toyota Qualis and implements used by the accused to commit burglary.

Acting on a tip-off that members of Mulla gang would come to Japanese Park at Rohini in a Qualis, a team under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joy Tirkey, laid a trap around 11 a.m.

The police spotted the vehicle in which nine people were travelling. The vehicle stopped near the park and five of the occupants alighted from it apparently to conduct a reconnaissance. After a few minutes, the police raided the place and overpowered the four occupants of the vehicle. They were about to arrest the other five when the culprits opened fire at them. However, no one was injured. The five other accused were also arrested.

The police recovered two country-made firearms, two spend and 10 live cartridges, two lock-breaking implements, knives and screwdrivers. The gang leader was identified as, Mohammad Shakil aka Mulla, while others identified themselves as Salim, Irshad, Hashmuddin, Mohammad Ibrahim, Hashim, Shabab Malik, Yamin and Inderjit. They confessed to their involvement in over 100 burglary cases.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Tejinder Luthra, the Mulla gang comprises 25 members mainly from western Uttar Pradesh. The accused operate in North-West, West and East Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida and other parts of Uttar Pradesh between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and target houses they find closed. They move in big groups in vehicles, which are supplied by Kailash, the owner of Ujala Travels of Meerut, in lieu of a share in the stolen property. "During their visits to places like Mumbai, Kanpur and Lucknow, they live in good hotels and strike in the surrounding areas at their will," said Mr. Luthra, adding that the accused would target a series of houses in one go.

The accused have contacts with a number of shady jewellers for disposal of stolen jewellery. One of them, Yamin, travels with the gang members while they commit burglary to immediately buy the stolen articles from them.

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