Patna, Aug. 24: They respect senior citizens but when it comes to youngsters, they do not spare the rod. Gangs of robbers, which target passengers at Patna Junction and Rajendra Nagar Terminal, operate with a bizarre sense of morality.

One of the gang members was arrested last night, and police learnt the modus operandi of the criminals. The arrested man told the cops that more than three such gangs operate in the state capital. As autorickshaw drivers are also members of the gangs, they can easily prey on unsuspecting passengers.

The gangs give different treatments to different victims, though. If they rob senior citizens, they usually escape with the valuables without harming the victims. But if a youth is in the net, he is thrashed.

City central superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande told The Telegraph: “The autorickshaw driver in the gang is deployed near Patna Junction late at night. He tracks the passengers. The gang always has two plans ready. If they pick a senior citizen or an aged couple, the autorickshaw driver stops the vehicle suddenly pretending it has developed snag and asks the passengers to get off. Then, the driver suddenly starts the vehicle and escapes. But if a youth is trapped, a beating is in the offing.”

Around 10.30 last night, a BCA student on his way to Mithapur Bus Stand from Patna Junction boarded an auto. “There was another passenger in it. A little later, another person boarded the vehicle. When the auto driver took a wrong turn, the youth protested. His co-passengers, who were actually members of the gang, started to beat him up. He somehow jumped off,” said Lande.

“There was a police patrol in the area. They followed the autorickshaw. The driver of the auto was caught. He has been identified as Sunil. The police also recovered a country-made pistol and knife from him,” Lande said.