1 held for auto-borne snatching

Deshraj said that Luxmi Kant and his three other associates were also involved in a robbery case on the intervening night of August 14 and 15.

The ASP said that during the intervening night of August 14 and 15,an apple trader from Himachal,who was drunk,was robbed by this gang who stole Rs 36,000,his mobile phone and a cheque for Rs 1.25 lakh.

“The apple trader was later thrown from the auto in Sector 25. The gang was also involved in the attack on a Punjab University student on August 6 when three auto-borne youth attacked a female student with a knife. The assailants tried to snatch her bag,but when she raised her voice,they fled,” Deshraj said.

The ASP said that soon after the incidents of the snatchings by auto rickshaw drivers,a special team of the police was constituted to probe these cases. The team led by Station House Officer,Sector 11 police station,Gurmuk Singh,assisted by sub-inspector Harminderjit Singh apprehended Luxmi while he was on a cycle rickshaw.

“From the initial investigation,we have found that there is a nexus between the auto rickshaw and cycle rickshaw drivers who keep an eye on the target and later plan the theft accordingly,” Deshraj said. “Once we arrest the other accused,we will be able to tell whether this was the only gang active in the city,” he added.