4 auto lifters arrested after brief shootout in Delhi’s Mehrauli

“On seeing Farman’s car coming towards them, our first team signaled the driver to stop. Sensing police presence, Farman who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat, opened fire at the police team with a pistol and attempted to escape. In response, ASI Jafrudin, who was following the target, shot at the tyre of their car bringing it to a halt. Farman again tried to fire his pistol at the team but his cartridges blocked the barrel and did not fire,” he said.

After a scuffle, during which an inspector sustained a minor injury, all four suspects were arrested.

Police said Farman has been named in 58 criminal cases, including auto theft, robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder. The other accused, too, have extensive criminal records, police said.

“They used to roam around Delhi, UP, and Haryana, looking to steal cars after switching off their mobile phones. The gang was using a scanner to decode keys and make new keys with the help of that. In the past few months, the gang stole more than 50 cars from Delhi and adjoining areas and delivered them to their receiver in Meerut,” said DCP Sain.

Mohsin, involved in 27 prior cases, allegedly helped to decode car keys, while Sahabzada acted as the getaway driver and Zahid served as the lookout during the thefts, the officer said.

The chassis number of Farman’s car was deliberately altered, police said, adding that they also recovered modern tools used in the car theft, including electronic decoding devices, a drill machine, and a number plate punching machine. The stolen vehicles were sold for up to Rs 1.5 lakh each, primarily in Meerut, said police.

Police said investigation is on to trace other members of the syndicate, recover additional stolen vehicles, and identify the source of the gang’s weapons.