Latest news with #ShriMataVaishnoDeviKatraSFExpress
NDTV
08-07-2025
- NDTV
Bag Lifter Gang Busted At New Delhi Railway Stations, 4 Arrested
New Delhi: Delhi Police has busted a gang of professional bag lifters who posed as cloth traders during peak hours in railway stations to avoid detection on CCTV. Four men were arrested, an official said on Monday. Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), Gaurav (33), and Punit Mahto (38), targeted passengers boarding and alighting trains, particularly at crowded stations, stealing unattended blue or black luggage, and replacing stolen bags with lookalike ones to mislead surveillance systems, he said. "The gang's latest theft was reported on July 3, when the railway enquiry received a complaint about the disappearance of five bags from coach A-1 of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at New Delhi Railway Station. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered and a probe launched," a senior police officer said. On reviewing CCTV footage, our teams tracked the suspects to a hotel in Paharganj, the officer said. A raid led to the arrest of Amit, Karan, and Gaurav, all residents of Bihar. Punit was arrested later from Anand Vihar Railway Station. The gang stayed in hotels near railway stations under the guise of being cloth merchants. They carried multiple empty black and blue bags, which they used to execute their scheme. After stealing similar-coloured bags from railway stations, they would transfer the contents into the dummy bags they already carried and abandon the original ones to reduce the risk of being caught, the officer added. This method allowed them to move in and out of railway premises multiple times a day without drawing attention from CCTV operators or hotel staff, who would see them with the same-coloured bags throughout, the officer said. Three trolley bags (two of them confirmed stolen), four 'pitthu' bags, five handbags, two mobile phones, and Rs 47,000 in cash was recovered. The officer added that an additional four suspected stolen trolley bags were recovered from Mahto, whose criminal history spans multiple states and includes narcotics and arms charges. They also used safe houses near the Badarpur-Faridabad border to stash looted goods before selling them in grey markets. "The accused were highly organised. They frequently changed SIM cards, mobile phones, and used aliases during hotel check-ins to avoid leaving a digital trail," the officer added. Investigation is underway to link the recovered property with pending theft cases and identify other members of the network.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi 'bag lifter gang' posed as traders at railway stations; 4 arrested
The Delhi Police has busted a gang of professional bag lifters who posed as cloth traders during peak hours in railway stations to avoid detection on CCTV. Four men were arrested, an official said on Monday. The gang stayed in hotels near railway stations under the guise of being cloth merchants ands carried multiple empty black and blue bags, ( iStockphoto/Representational Image) Amit Kumar (37), Karan Kumar (27), Gaurav (33), and Punit Mahto (38), targeted passengers boarding and alighting trains, particularly at crowded stations, stealing unattended blue or black luggage, and replacing stolen bags with lookalike ones to mislead surveillance systems, he said. "The gang's latest theft was reported on July 3, when the railway enquiry received a complaint about the disappearance of five bags from coach A-1 of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at New Delhi Railway Station. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered and a probe launched," a senior police officer said. On reviewing CCTV footage, our teams tracked the suspects to a hotel in Paharganj, the officer said. A raid led to the arrest of Amit, Karan, and Gaurav, all residents of Bihar. Punit was arrested later from Anand Vihar Railway Station. The gang stayed in hotels near railway stations under the guise of being cloth merchants. They carried multiple empty black and blue bags, which they used to execute their scheme. After stealing similar-coloured bags from railway stations, they would transfer the contents into the dummy bags they already carried and abandon the original ones to reduce the risk of being caught, the officer added. This method allowed them to move in and out of railway premises multiple times a day without drawing attention from CCTV operators or hotel staff, who would see them with the same-coloured bags throughout, the officer said. Three trolley bags (two of them confirmed stolen), four 'pitthu' bags, five handbags, two mobile phones, and ₹47,000 in cash was recovered. The officer added that an additional four suspected stolen trolley bags were recovered from Mahto, whose criminal history spans multiple states and includes narcotics and arms charges. They also used safe houses near the Badarpur-Faridabad border to stash looted goods before selling them in grey markets. "The accused were highly organised. They frequently changed SIM cards, mobile phones, and used aliases during hotel check-ins to avoid leaving a digital trail," the officer added. Investigation is underway to link the recovered property with pending theft cases and identify other members of the network.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Four interstate bag thieves held for thefts at New Delhi railway station
Delhi Police's railways unit on Sunday arrested four members of an interstate gang of bag thieves, who primarily operated across railway stations in north India, and recovered 12 stolen bags, officers said on Monday, adding that all four are residents of different parts of Bihar. Police analysed CCTV footage and traced the suspects to a hotel in Paharganj. (Representative photo) The action came after the theft of five bags from the A1 coach of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express at the New Delhi Railway Station on July 3. Police analysed CCTV footage and traced the suspects to a hotel in Paharganj. Police said they arrested three members from the hotel and a fourth one from the Anand Vihar Railway Station. 'A fourth accused was arrested later from Anand Vihar Railway Station. He had operated across Bihar, Rajasthan, and Delhi, and is involved in multiple serious offences, including under the NDPS Act and Arms Acts in Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,' deputy commissioner of police (railways) KPS Malhotra said. The accused were identified as Amit Kumar, 37, from Vaishali, Karan Kumar, 27, from Begusarai, Gaurav Pathak, 33, from Begusarai, and Punit Mahto, 38, from Begusarai. They are repeat offenders, with involvement in theft, arms possession and narcotic smuggling, police said. Investigators said the gang targeted blue and black bags, as they were harder to identify in CCTV footage and were less likely to draw suspicion. They posed as cloth traders, frequently transporting multiple bags to and from their hotel to mask thefts. Stolen items were hidden in safe houses near the Badarpur-Faridabad border, from where they were sold in grey markets. 'To avoid detection, they frequently changed phones, SIM cards, and used aliases during hotel stays. This clever deception helped them blend into the crowd and avoid raising suspicion, while successfully executing theft after theft. Recovered items include three trolley bags, four pitthu bags, five handbags, ₹47,000 in cash, and two mobile phones. Two of the trolley bags were matched to the reported theft,' the DCP said.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Indian Express
Delhi: Gang busted for stealing luggage at stations — using lookalike black and blue bags
An interstate gang of bag lifters, which allegedly targeted passengers at railway stations, was busted by the Railway Unit of the Delhi Police on Sunday. The police arrested four men, recovering 12 stolen bags, mobile phones and cash. According to police, the gang would disguise themselves as cloth merchants and preyed on heavy footfall trains to avoid raising suspicion. They would target passengers boarding and alighting trains, particularly at crowded stations, and quickly escape with unattended luggage. The accused, police said, had a unique modus operandi to commit the thefts. DCP (Railways) KPS Malhotra said, 'Black and blue bags were more prone to theft, as these are common and less noticeable in crowded areas. The accused exploited this by adopting a deliberate tactic of carrying and exchanging similar-looking black and blue bags to evade detection.' 'They would stay at a hotel near the railway station, carrying black and blue bags with them. They would then steal similar-coloured bags from unsuspecting passengers and take them to the hotel, where they would empty the contents into the bags they already possessed. Thereafter, they would bring the now-empty stolen bags back to the railway station and abandon them. This cycle was repeated multiple times, making it harder for police and CCTV operators to distinguish stolen bags from their own. This clever deception helped them blend into the crowd and avoid raising suspicion, while successfully executing theft after theft,' DCP Malhotra further explained. They also used safe houses near the Badarpur-Faridabad border to conceal stolen property before selling it in the grey markets. To avoid detection, they frequently changed phones and SIM cards, and used aliases during hotel stays, said police. The police were tipped off about the gang on July 3 when a passenger from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra SF Express lodged a complaint about the theft of five bags at New Delhi Railway Station. The Railway Unit analysed CCTV footage and traced suspicious movement to a hotel in Paharganj. A team was subsequently deployed for verification. Raids at the hotel led to the arrest of three gang members. Police said Amit Kumar (37), who hails from Vaishali in Bihar, has a previous record of thefts at railway stations and had been arrested by the railway police in Hajipur in 2015. According to the police, Kumar operated mostly in Bihar and Delhi, specifically targeting railway passengers. Karan Kumar (27), hailing from Begusarai, had been previously arrested in 2015 under the Arms Act, said police. He used to carry weapons during thefts to intimidate victims and help the gang escape. Gaurav (33) was arrested in 2019 at NDLS for theft. According to police, he had also been declared a proclaimed offender in the same case. He was allegedly well acquainted with the station's layout, making him a critical operative in executing and planning thefts. Police recovered three trolley bags — of which two were stolen — four backpacks, five handbags, two mobile phones, and Rs 47,000 in cash. The stolen trolley bags were matched to the complaint filed on July 3, said police. Further investigation led to the arrest of their fourth member from Anand Vihar Railway Station. Police said Punit Mahto (38) has a long history involving narcotics, armed robbery and organised theft.
