New Delhi: A screenshot taken during a video call led to the identification and eventually the arrest of two teenagers who allegedly robbed people to fund their drug addiction and hotel stays, police said on Monday.
The two were identified as Harsh and Ashish alias Suchha, both 19, and residents of Vikas Nagar in southwest Delhi.
“With their arrest, we have solved at least seven cases of robbery and vehicle theft,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said in a statement. The officer said five stolen motorcycles and one autorickshaw were recovered from their possession, as was a country-made pistol, a knife, and a live cartridge.
“The accused were actively involved in a spree of criminal activities, especially vehicle theft and armed robbery using the stolen vehicles. They used to stay at hotels to feel luxury using the looted money. Both are drug addicts,” said the DCP.
On July 17, a call was received at Ranhola Police Station reporting a robbery near Government School in Gurdyal Vihar, he said.
The complainant alleged that two men robbed him of his mobile phone and Rs 20,000 at knife-point.
Police registered an FIR, and a special team was formed to investigate the case. “Team scanned CCTV footage from the vicinity and received a breakthrough when the complainant’s sister video-called the stolen number, which was answered by one of the accused. She managed to capture screenshots of the suspects during the video call, providing a vital visual lead,” Sharma said.
On Sunday, a police team spotted two men on a numberless motorcycle near the Nala Road behind the Shudhanshu Ashram.
“When signalled to stop, they tried to flee but were chased and overpowered by the team members,” the officer said.
When they were searched, one of them, Harsh, was found carrying a knife, while the other, Ashish, had a country-made pistol with a live cartridge.
“The motorcycle they were riding was confirmed stolen, with the engine and chassis number matching an entry in an FIR registered on March 14 at Ranhola Police Station,” said the DCP.
During interrogation, the two confessed to stealing vehicles from across southwest Delhi and use them for snatchings and robberies.
The motorcycles and autorickshaw recovered at their instance were linked to cases registered across Ranhola, Vikas Puri, Paschim Vihar, and Najafgarh police stations.
“The recovered vehicles show a wide operational area of these thieves. They targeted not just local zones but also committed thefts in neighbouring police districts,” he said.
According to police, Harsh and Ashish followed a pattern – first, they would steal two-wheelers, mainly motorcycles, from parking lots or poorly guarded residential areas, and then would use them for a quick getaway after a robbery.
“They mostly targeted lone pedestrians at isolated spots. One would threaten the victim with a knife or country-made pistol while the other stood guard on the motorcycle,” the officer said.
The two used stolen mobile phones for only brief communication and disposed them of quickly to avoid tracking. Local pedestrians carrying bags, mobile phones, or visibly holding cash, were their favourite targets.
The accused revealed that they would use the robbed money to buy drugs, and fund “short-term luxuries.”
They would often check into hotels with the loot and spend nights taking drugs. “It was snatch, spend and stay. They robbed and then lived like rich for a night or two until they needed to steal again,” Sharma said.
Harsh and Ashis, both, are school dropouts.
Harsh had earlier been involved in minor street crimes, while Ashish had reportedly been influenced by a group of criminals in the area.
Police said they are trying to identify their other associates, particularly two known by the initials G and S, who are believed to be part of their criminal activity.
