During interrogation, Khan allegedly told investigators that he and his associate committed more than 100 robberies and snatching in the East Delhi, New Delhi and Southeast Delhi areas in the Capital, besides Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. He was also allegedly involved in the murder of one Khurshid, an associate, on January 16 this year.

Shahnawaz Khan came out of jail in 2008 and has since then been involved in snatching incidents targeting women travelling in autorickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and other vehicles along with associate Ashiq Ali. “They would stop vehicles on some pretext or the other and then threaten the passengers with weapons (knives) and rob them. They also targeted women walking alone on the road,” Mohan said.

The latest case involving this gang was reported from Indirapuram in Ghaziabad on June 29. They allegedly committed three robberies, targeting autorickshaw passengers, and in one incident, they allegedly threatened to harm a small child and took all the belongings from the child’s mother.