PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
The Vikasnagar police have arrested two members of an interstate theft gang and solved five theft cases reported in the Selaqui area. The police recovered stolen goods worth around Rs 40 lakh, Rs 3.90 lakh in cash and a motorcycle used in the crimes. The accused have been identified as Vikas (21) and Sumit Kumar (27), both residents of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh.
The superintendent of police (Rural), Pankaj Gairola said that on the instructions of Dehradun senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobal, special teams had been formed after a series of thefts were reported in Selaqui. “On Monday, police received information that the accused had returned to the area to commit another theft. So we intensified checking, during which police stopped a motorcycle and caught both the suspects,” Gairola said.
During questioning, the accused were said to have admitted their involvement in five theft cases in Selaqui. Based on their information, police recovered stolen jewellery, cash and other valuables from their rented room in Shankarpur, Sahaspur, he informed.
The SP further said that the accused duo worked as daily wagers and surveyed locked houses during the day on the pretext of looking for work. They mainly targeted houses that were vacant during the summer vacation in educational institutions and carried out thefts at night.
The investigation also revealed that Vikas had deposited Rs 2.5 lakh earned from selling stolen items into his bank account. The account has been frozen by the police. Gairola said that another member of the gang has also been identified and efforts are being made to arrest him. “Both the accused have criminal records,” he added.
Meanwhile, SSP Dobal rewarded the police team with a cash prize of Rs 2,500 for solving the cases.
