The Hindu : New Delhi News : `King of auto-lifters' arrested

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 11, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

`King of auto-lifters' arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 10. A man described by the police as one of the biggest auto-lifters in the Capital has been arrested for alleged involvement in about 70 cases of snatching. His wife, father and two other alleged associates have also been arrested.

The South Delhi police were finding it difficult to trace the culprits involved in snatchings being carried out with alarming regularity at various place in South Delhi over the past three months. The snatchers would come on a Hyundai Santro car and disappear after snatching the bags of women on desolate stretches and even in the congested areas. In this connection, the Special Staff team led by Inspector Rajender Singh and the Greater Kailash police were also working on a few leads.

Based on specific tip-off, they arrested two persons, Rakesh and Mamta, in Greater Kailash Part-I on November 30. During interrogation, the duo revealed that they worked for Anil Chauhan, a notorious auto-lifter. Rakesh also told the police that Anil's wife, Geeta, father Deshraj, Sonu Singh and Raj Kumar were also involved in the snatchings.

Geeta, Deshraj, Sonu and Raj Kumar were arrested from the Capital, while Anil was arrested from Guwahati in Assam on December 7. He was allegedly planning to send a fresh lot of vehicles stolen from the Capital to Nepal.

At the instance of the accused, the police claim to have recovered four stolen cars, five stolen cellular phones, 5,000 duplicate keys, instruments to make duplicate keys, forged registration certificates, stamps of various registration authorities and fake registration number plates.

Anil purportedly told the police that owing to increased vigilance on the borders, it had become difficult for him to dispose of stolen vehicles on a regular basis. He had, therefore, decided to indulge in snatching. His gang stole a Santro car from Preet Vihar in East Delhi and began indulging in snatchings. They would trail a woman from a market place and snatch the bag from her when she reached a desolate stretch. After committing the snatchings, they used to change the registration number plate of the car.

The gang had also stolen two Toyota Qualis and other vehicles which were to be disposed of either in Nepal or their receiver, Pukavi, in Nagaland. The police said Anil was already an expert auto-lifter and he had developed such fine network that he did not require help from any other gang. He had a huge set of duplicate keys and also the implements which could be used to make the duplicate keys instantly.

Anil had last been arrested for auto-lifting and also for possessing of narcotics in June 2003. He was released from Tihar Central Jail about four months ago. Anil, along with Raj Kumar, had stolen and disposed of more than 500 vehicles in the past six years or so. He even used to go to Nepal by air to collect the payments. This is the seventh time Anil has been arrested. More than 50 cases registered against him are pending trial in various courts.

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