Bhopal: The capital’s crime branch has arrested 4 members of a vicious thief gang. A total of 29 stolen two-wheelers have been recovered on the information given by the accused. The cost of the seized vehicles is said to be around Rs 17.5 lakh. Initial interrogation has revealed the theft of about half a dozen other two-wheelers. The police have also made those who bought and mortgaged the stolen vehicles accused in this case. So far 12 accused have been named.
Police Commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra said that a team of the crime branch was deployed to stop the incidents of vehicle theft in the city and to arrest the accused. Meanwhile, information was received from an informer that two youths present near the Jhareshwar temple on Thandi Sadak are waiting to sell bikes at cheap prices.
The police reached the spot and took both of them into custody. On interrogation, the youths told their names as Jamil Khan (25) resident of village Kadampur, police station Gunga and Sonu Rai Singh (34) resident of Gauharganj district Raisen.
On being questioned about the bike without number, they could not give any precise answer. When the police searched on the VDP portal, it was found that the said bike was stolen. After that both were brought to the police station and questioned.
The accused told that they along with their two other companions used to steal two-wheelers and sell them at cheap rates in the rural area or mortgage them. On the information given by both of them, the police arrested Monu Rai Singh (20) resident of village Panjra, police station Gauharganj district Raisen and Vinod Rai Singh (22) resident of Bari district Raisen.
During interrogation, all the four accused told that after stealing two-wheelers, they used to give them to their companions for selling or mortgage. On their information, police recovered 10 two-wheelers from Pipaliya Viran village, 10 from Panjara village and 9 from Tulsi Par village. Apart from this, half a dozen other vehicles have been found, which are being recovered. A dozen accused are involved in the gang.
Police Commissioner Mishra said that Sonu Rai Singh is the leader of the vehicle theft gang. He had formed a gang with the boys of Raisen. He used to steal two-wheelers in Bhopal and nearby districts and hand them over to his associates for sale. Apart from Bhopal, the gang has also committed incidents of vehicle theft in other places including Raisen and Hoshangabad.