New Delhi, Dec 11, 2024
Days after thieves stole approximately 140 metres of cable from the Delhi Metro Blue Line between Kirti Nagar and Moti Nagar, causing significant disruptions, the Delhi Police successfully apprehended three individuals involved in the crime. Some parts of the stolen cable have been recovered, police said here on Wednesday.
Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police, Vijay Singh, at a press conference, revealed that around 60 CCTV cameras near the crime scene were scanned and analysed.
“The footage showed a Tata Ace vehicle and an auto-rickshaw in the vicinity. Following this lead, the police traced the vehicles to Mustafabad. By examining an additional 500 CCTV cameras along the route from Kirti Nagar to Mustafabad and questioning the Tata Ace driver, the police identified the first accused, Shahrukh, and arrested him,” he said.
Subsequent interrogation of Shahrukh led to the arrest of a second suspect, Ramzan. Further questioning revealed the involvement of the mastermind, Rashid, who conducted recce of potential theft sites and planned the operations, the police said.
“The investigation also implicated another suspect, Junaid, who was later arrested. However, two other individuals, Masoom and Faizal, remain at large. Raids are being conducted to nab them,” Vijay Singh said.
According to the police, the gang operated systematically, with members assigned specific roles. While some conducted recce, others specialised in cutting the cables using tools.
The stolen cables were weighed en route to confirm their value, with a receipt of the weighing recovered during the investigation.
The gang sold the stolen cables to a scrap dealer named Sarfaraz on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, who is currently absconding. Raids are underway to apprehend him.
The cable theft on December 5 caused significant disruptions to Delhi Metro services on the Blue Line, particularly during morning rush hours.
Commuters experienced delays and inconvenience as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) informed passengers of the issue through posts on X.
The DMRC assured passengers that repair work would be conducted during non-operational hours to restore normal services.(Agency)
