4 minors among 7 held for burglary at marriage parties

GHAZIABAD: Seven people, including four minors of a notorious gang, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in over a dozen cases of theft in the city. A gold chain and about Rs 1,70,000 in cash were recovered at their possession. They were arrested from the Ghaziabad railway station on Thursday.

According to police, the accused, identified as Sandeep, Nirottam, Aditya and four others between 10 and 12 years of age, are members of the Sansi tribe from Madhya Pradesh. Acting on a tip-off, police nabbed the gang members while they were loitering in the railway station. “Based on information, we raided the area and arrested them. We recovered Rs 1,70,000 and a gold chain, which was stolen from a marriage hall last month,” said Ashok Sisodiya, the Kavinagar police station SHO.

He further said the members belong to the notorious Sansi tribe, who are experts at theft and burglary. “Such gangs usually travel to different states at the onset of the wedding season and target marriage parties. The have confessed to their involvement in a dozen theft cases in the city,” he added.

The modus operandi of the tribe is, they send underaged kids to infiltrate weddings. “The kids usually operate in pairs, follow their target, usually the host, and flee with cash-filled envelopes, jewellery or cash at an opportune time,” he added. Police said they have identified the gang’s involvement in a theft at a wedding in Kavinagar on November 28.