A team of the Special Task Force, Crime Branch, on Friday busted a gang which committed thefts at big fat wedding ceremonies and arrested five accused adults and apprehended two juveniles.
The team recovered stolen cash of Rs 4 lakh, one silver coin and two bags from the gang which had committed thefts at Delhi, Ludhiana, Jirakpur and Chandigarh.
The gang comprised men, women and children who hail from Gulkheri village of Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh.
Acting on a tip-off, the STF conducted a raid and nabbed all the seven accused including juvenile offenders who were leaving Delhi for their village in MP.
During the investigation, the arrested accused disclosed that in wedding season they used visit Delhi and NCR and other metro cities in North India to commit theft at wedding venues.
"In their villages, children between the ages of 9-15 years are leased for Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh depending on their skills to the gangs for the crime by their parents. Once a child is auctioned, the money is handed over to the parents in two or more instalments and the child is hired for one more year," the accused said.
"After being brought to Delhi, the children undergo training for a month. The child is also made mentally and physically tough not to divulge his identity and that of his gang members in case he is arrested," the team said.
To bust this gang, the STF team analysed all the available video footages of the wedding ceremonies in which the theft took place and deployed informers at prominent banquet halls and farm houses where wedding ceremonies were held. Three suspects included two juveniles were identified.
"It has been revealed from the video footages that the suspects before committing theft spent considerable time at the venues, making themselves comfortable and familiar with the guests. They were never in a hurry, dined there patiently and were well dressed to mingle with the guests and waited for the opportune time to strike," the STF said."In a swift move, they stole the gift bags containing jewellery, cash and vshed from the venue," the team said.
"The accused admitted that they have committed five thefts in Kapashera, Mayapuri and Moti Nagar in Delhi and three thefts in Punjab and Chandigarh," the team said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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