‘Takkar Gang’ busted for bump-and-rob thefts on Delhi footpaths; 2 held

New Delhi: An accidental bump on a crowded street may, in some cases, be a planned theft. Police have busted a gang that allegedly robbed pedestrians by deliberately colliding, sparking an argument and using the distraction to slip cash or valuables from their pockets before fleeing. Police have arrested two members of the so-called ‘Takkar Gang', who allegedly used this method to target people on busy stretches. DCP (outer) Vikram Singh said the arrests followed a complaint by Om Parkash, a resident of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh who works at a salon in Paschim Vihar. "On Feb 26, Parkash told police that while walking on a footpath near a bank around 2pm, a man collided with him, began arguing and pushed him. During the scuffle, the man's associate, who was waiting on a motorcycle, helped him escape. Parkash later realised that Rs 10,000 had been stolen from his pocket," DCP Singh said. A case was registered at Paschim Vihar East police station. A police team scanned CCTV footage from routes linked to the spot and identified two suspects riding a red motorcycle. The number plate was clearly visible and traced to Neeraj, 26. A raid was conducted in Budh Vihar on March 6, and both accused — Neeraj and Rajesh Pandey, 30 — were nabbed. With the arrests, police said five cases have been worked out. Neeraj is previously involved in seven criminal cases and is listed as a bad character of Mangolpuri police station, while Rajesh has six cases against him and was earlier convicted under the Gambling Act.