Thursday, 27 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Dehradun police have busted an inter-state gang of 11 members for allegedly stealing cash and valuable items from pilgrims near Ganga Ghats during Char Dham Yatra. The police also recovered 17 stolen mobiles and a cash of Rs 1.08 lakh from the arrested accused, said the senior superintendent of police, Daleep Singh Kunwar in a Press conference on Wednesday. He said that a Rishikesh resident filed a complaint on Monday about his trouser being stolen from Triveni Ghat in the morning that had Rs 50,000 along with a mobile and some IDs.
The police started investigation and arrested all 11 gang members from near Nav Ghat in Rishikesh on Tuesday. He said that all 11 accused live in nearby villages of Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh and are related to each other. According to them, they all used to come to Rishikesh and Haridwar during tourist season to carry out incidents of theft near Ganga Ghats by engaging people in talks or by diverting their attention in other ways. They also steal clothes, bags and other things kept by devotees on the Ghats before they get to bathe in the Ganga river, said Kunwar.
“The accused revealed in the preliminary inquiry that they adopt all means like creating a scene at a public place to divert the mind of the crowd to easily steal things or create confusing situations to get the opportunities to steal from pilgrims and tourists. They later distribute money and stolen goods among them. They have also confessed to stealing a trouser of a man two days ago from near Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh from which they got Rs 50,000 and a mobile. Few days back, they also stole a gold watch and Rs 50,000 from a man in Har Ki Paudi,” said the SSP. He said that the police are seeking information about the criminal history of these 11 accused from UP and other states too. Kunwar has also announced a reward of Rs 5,000 to the police team that nabbed these 11 accused.
