7 held for snatchings, robberies to woo girlfriends

Planned to celebrate New Year outside Delhi

New Delhi: In order to impress their girlfriends and celebrate the New Year outside Delhi, seven persons resorted to snatchings and robberies, police said on Friday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Imran (25), Vikas (23), Nitin (22), Nasim (37), Naveen (26), Dharmender (22), and Dheeraj (25), they said.

With their arrest, police claim to have solved 44 cases, and recovered six luxurious motorcycles, two scooters, 28 snatched mobile phones from their possession. Acting on a tip on Thursday, police laid a trap near Peeragarhi Metro Station and arrested three of the accused who arrived at the spot on a motorcycle.

Seventeen snatched or stolen mobile phones were recovered from their possession. The motorcycle was found to be the one that was stolen from Punjabi Bah area, said Seju Kuruvilla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer).

Subsequently, a second trap was laid near the Sultanpuri bus terminal and another gang involving four accused persons, identified as Vikas, Nitin, Dheeraj, and Dharmender, were nabbed, along with a stolen motorcycle and a scooter. Eleven robbed/snatched mobile phones and Rs 7,000 in cash was recovered from their possession, the officer said.

Four other stolen motorcycles and a stolen vehicle were also recovered at their instance from abandoned places, he said.

During interrogation, all the accused persons revealed that they had intensified their criminal activities so that they could impress their girlfriends and plan the celebration of New Year out of Delhi, the DCP said.