Gang burgled eight Mehrauli houses in six months, busted

Thieves moved around on auto picking houses to loot

Three men have been arrested on charges of house burglaries at Mehrauli in south Delhi in the last six months, police said on Tuesday.

According to deputy commissioner of police (south) Chhaya Sharma, Shastri Park residents Idrish, 23, Aanad Mandal, 20, and Prem Chand, 33, used to roam in an autorickshaw to identify soft targets.

“After identifying their targets, such as locked houses, they would assemble at Yamuna Pushta and plan a robbery bid using house-breaking equipment,” said Sharma.

At the target house, one of them would wait in the autorickshaw while others entered the house by breaking locks or window grills.

Then they would go to an isolated place in Trans Yamuna and distribute the stolen items.

“Idrish, being the gang leader, would take a major share. Late in the night if they were stopped by police patrols, they would say they were waiters going home after working at some events,” Sharma said.

They were held after investigations house burglary cases filed with Mehrauli police station revealed that the gang led by Idrish may be involved.

Cops then focused the investigation on Idrish and laid traps in Seelampur, Jama Masjid and Shastri Park.

“We succeeded in arresting Idrish and Anand on June 11. Stolen laptops, gold and silver jewellery and house-breaking equipment were recovered from Anand’s house,” said Sharma.

Prem, the autorickshaw driver, was arrested on June 16 and the vehicle was impounded.
Another accused Baharul is absconding.