Police arrest 5 members of auto-gang who used to rob woman passengers

Ghaziabad: After a brief exchange of fire, police arrested five members of a gang who used to rob woman passengers after giving them ride in their auto-rickshaw in Ghaziabad's Vijay Nagar area, officials said Tuesday.

In the gun fight, the gang leader sustained bullet injuries in his leg, they said.

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The gang used to pick up woman passengers on the Electronic City metro station-Indirapuram-Vaishali route.

On Monday around 11.45 pm, a woman boarded their auto-rickshaw but soon she was looted by the five who were in the vehicle posing as its driver and passengers. She was then thrown out on the road, Superintendent of Police (City), Shlok Kumar said.

The woman then informed the police control room and the vehicle was soon intercepted with the driver and his four accomplices in it, he said.

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When asked to stop, the gang opened fire at the police personnel, who also returned a shot, in which one of the accused was injured, the officer said.

The accused have been identified as Raju alias Raj Bhadur, Raj Kumar, Sandip, Pawan and Karan, police said, adding that Raju was the gang leader and he has confessed to robbing female passengers at night.

On March 12, a Delhi University student was also robbed by the gang in a similar fashion.

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Police have recovered the woman's bag, silver anklets and mobile phone which were robbed on Monday night.

They have also found three country made pistols, four live cartridges and two knives from the accused, the officer said.

(PTI)