Ranchi, July 1: Deepak Kumar (20), an undergraduate B.Com student of Ranchi-based Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav College, was arrested yesterday night with his five associates from various places in the capital city for operating a gang that targeted commuters and houses to maintain their affluent lifestyle.
At a press conference today, police said two among the arrested are minors and three are barely 19 years old.
Five bikes, three mobile phones, a smart TV and other electronic items have been recovered from their possession. All of these items have either been snatched or stolen.
Besides Deepak, a resident of Dipatoli under Sadar police station, the three other members of the gang were identified as Chandan Kumar, Kuldeep Mahato and Birsa Oraon - residents of Housing Colony under Bariatu police station area. Among the two minors, one is a mendicant.
Ranchi SP Aman Kumar said the gang blipped on the police radar following four cases of theft and house break-ins reported at Sadar police station during May-June.
"In May, two cases of bike loot were reported near Alu Godam at Cheshire Home Road while two house break-ins were reported in June from Dhela Toli and Booty More localities. The arrests on Friday were made on the basis of human and technical intelligences. They have been forwarded to judicial custody at Birsa Munda Central Jail today morning. The two minors were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to a juvenile home," the Ranchi SP said.
Police have been surprised at the meticulous planning behind the crimes.
DSP (Sadar) Vikas Chandra Srivastava said the gang members held brainstorming sessions at a flat in Housing Colony in Bariatu to fix their target.
During the day, they used to gather information about the targeted house, its inmates and the locality.
They had involved the mendicant as an informer because he was more familiar with different localities.
For road robberies, the gang picked Cheshire Home Road as the perfect spot because the stretch became desolate in the evening. Besides, there is a sharp bend on the road that forces drivers to slow down.
"The gang overpowered bikers while they tried to negotiate the bend and snatched money, costly items and bikes before escaping through the bylanes to reach Housing Colony," Srivastava said.
