Delhi: Juvenile among 5 held for robbing bike-taxi driver

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) A juvenile among five people have been apprehended for allegedly robbing a motorcycle-taxi driver of his vehicle, cash and mobile phone in north Delhi's Timarpur area, police said on Friday.

On January 27, the accused people celebrated the juvenile's birthday and later booked a motorcycle taxi with an intension of robbing the driver, they said.

In his complaint, Md Shamshad Alam, a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi rider, reported that he was robbed by a group of five men who had booked his bike.

"Upon reaching the designated location, he was confronted by four people who arrived in a car. They held him at knifepoint and forcibly took his motorcycle, cash, and a mobile phone before fleeing the scene," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement.

Following the victim's complaint, an FIR was registered at Timarpur Police Station and a team was formed to nab the accused.

The team examined CCTV footage from the crime scene and surrounding areas. The breakthrough came when the victim recalled the last four digits of the car's registration number, which helped trace the vehicle, the police said.

On January 29, acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted the car near Sankalp Bhawan and apprehended four suspects -- Rohit (23), Maan Singh (18), Nishant (20), and a 17-year-old juvenile.

Upon interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. The car, which had been rented from a company by Rohit, was seized. The stolen mobile phone was found with Maan Singh, while Nishant was carrying the knife used in the robbery. The juvenile had used his mobile phone to book the bike taxi, the officer said.

Further investigation led to the arrest of the fifth accused, Rahul (18), who had hidden the stolen motorcycle near Signature Bridge. he said, adding that the police recovered the vehicle from the location.

The accused revealed that they were all friends and had planned the crime after celebrating the juvenile's birthday. Nishant used the knife to threaten the victim while the others executed the robbery. The stolen cash of Rs 3,000 was reportedly spent on personal indulgences. Further investigation is ongoing, the DCP said. PTI BM BM NB NB