Married couple held for snatching, vehicle theft in Delhi's Rani Bagh

New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested a married couple allegedly involved in a series of snatchings and vehicle thefts in outer Delhi's Rani Bagh area, an official said on Monday.

The duo -- identified as Rahul alias Mota (30) and his wife -- used to first steal two-wheelers, use them to commit snatchings and robberies, and then discard them in an attempt to avoid being tracked by law enforcement agencies, he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sachin Sharma said, "On June 25, a woman reported to the police that while she was walking to an aerobics centre near Rishi Nagar, a man and a woman on a scooter approached her. The woman, dressed in a pink suit and was riding pillion, snatched her gold chain and while the man sped the bike away." A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at Rani Bagh police station. The investigators examined footage from over 300 CCTV cameras in and around the crime scene and at various escape routes.

"A scooter in one of the recordings matched the description. When we traced the vehicle's registration number, it was found to have been stolen from Nihal Vihar. A theft case was registered on the same day," DCP Sharma added.

Police tracked the movement of the suspects through CCTV trail, which eventually led them to Nangloi. A local informer identified the suspects as Rahul alias Mota, and a woman, both residents of Sultanpuri.

While the suspects were on the run, the police received intelligence that they were hiding at Hastsal in Uttam Nagar. The accused were apprehended after multiple raids.

"A stolen scooter used in the commission of the snatching and a gold chain weighing approximately 20 grams were recovered from their possession," the DCP said, adding that Rahul is previously involved in 10 criminal cases, while his wife has five prior cases registered against her. PTI SSJ SSJ RUK RUK