Noida: Police have arrested two members of an alleged auto-rickshaw robbery gang that targeted passengers by offering them rides before robbing them in secluded areas. A juvenile accomplice has also been detained.The accused, Chandan Sharma, the gang leader, and Danish Malik, were arrested by the Sector-63 police. Police recovered a stolen mobile phone, Rs 2,250 in cash, the auto-rickshaw used in the crimes and an illegal knife. Investigators suspect the gang was involved in more than 20 similar robberies across Delhi-NCR.According to additional DCP Swatantra Singh, the gang primarily operated at night, picking up passengers from different parts of Noida. After gaining their trust, they would divert the vehicle to isolated stretches and rob them of cash, mobile phones and other valuables. In several cases, the accused allegedly forced victims to transfer money from their bank accounts using their mobile phones. Victims who resisted were assaulted and threatened with a knife, police said.The arrests stem from a robbery reported on the night of June 25. A man travelling to Barola boarded an auto-rickshaw in which three youths were already seated. Instead of taking him to his destination, the accused allegedly drove towards a deserted service road between Parthala Bridge and Sector-80, where they robbed him of his mobile phone and Rs 1,000 in cash before transferring additional money online using his phone.Following the complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections related to robbery, the Information Technology Act and other applicable laws. A special team led by ACP Diksha Singh was formed to investigate the case.Acting on local intelligence and inputs from informers, police laid a trap near a closed petrol pump on a service road within the Sector-63 police station limits on Tuesday and arrested Sharma and Malik. The juvenile accompanying them was taken into custody.During interrogation, the accused admitted they planned the robberies to make quick money. Police said Sharma, 27, previously ran a tea stall and is the gang leader, while 19-year-old Malik worked as an auto-rickshaw driver at night. Both studied up to Class 10.Police said the accused shared the stolen cash among themselves after each robbery. The auto-rickshaw seized during the operation, which was allegedly used in multiple offences, has been impounded under the Motor Vehicles Act.
