DU grad, student held for thefts at ATMS
NEW DELHI: They wanted their crime to be perfect, so they took every possible measure to ensure they could not be linked to their illegal activities. They even got a motorcycle financed on fake documents so it could not be traced. But a small mistake landed them in police’s net. They provided a correct mobile number when getting the bike financed.
The two accused, in their early 20s, targeted ATM users in and around the Delhi University campus in north Delhi, police said. After having free run for over the past three months, they were arrested for allegedly duping more than a dozen people, police said on Saturday.
The accused were identified as Dharmender, a DU graduate, and Prince Kumar, who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree also at DU, police said.
One of the alleged fraudsters got a motorcycle financed on fake address documents so police could not find them even if the two-wheeler was captured by CCTV cameras, said Jatin Narwal, DCP (north).
However, one of the suspects ended up giving his actual mobile number to the financer. When police got the bike’s registration number, they were easily able to find him through his mobile phone number, said the DCP.
Their arrests have led to the recovery of ₹89,000 that the duo allegedly cheated from their victims.
Their latest victim was Nandan Singh, a retired lab assistant from Hindu College.
Singh had visited an ATM at the Hindu College’s premises on December 1. He had withdrawn ₹10,000 using his card when the duo approached him and distracted him in conversation.
On the pretext of the ATM taking too long to dispense cash, they tricked him into handing over his card to them.
They then switched it with a fake card that they returned. Singh did not realise the trick at that time even though his efforts to withdraw more money were futile, said the DCP.
It was last week that Singh realised he was tricked. “The cheats had used his card to withdraw ₹50,000. When Singh complained, we began our probe,” said the DCP. NEWDELHI: The Centre and Delhi government on Saturday sparred over Metro fare hike and utilisation of funds under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday dubbed as “absurd” the suggestions that Delhiites shifted to other modes of transport like cab services or started buying expensive cars due to the recent Metro fare hike.
The comments come in the backdrop of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal having written a letter to Puri, seeking a review of the hike and reiterating his offer to partially bear the cost of the proposed “claw back”.
“If #Metro is an ‘expensive luxury liner’ then #DTC should immediately buy more buses to make up for shortfall of 7000 buses & drastic 35% drop in ridership. Who’s responsible for this? Surely Delhi citizens deserve both - an efficient and reliable DTC & much better arguments!,” the Union minister said on Twitter.
In response, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot’s tweeted: “Dear @Hardeepspuri sir : you are right - Delhi needs both the Metro & more DTC buses. We are procuring more buses & are ready to bear 50% of Metro losses. Please accept our offer & allow Delhiites a Metro ride at Reasonable and Affordable fares.”
Puri also raised the issue of “under-utilisation” of funds under Swachh Bharat Mission and asked the Delhi government to step up expenditure under the scheme to improve services, sources said. Puri wrote to Kejriwal, stating that ₹104.75 crore was released by the ministry in 2015 against the allocation of ₹349.75 crore, the sources said.
“Out of this, a sum of ₹32.52 crore only has been spent so far and the balance is lying unutilised,” the sources said.
To this, the Delhi government spokesperson said that since required utilisation has not been made by MCDS, additional funds could not be claimed in 2016-16 and 2017-18.
THE DUO WAS CAUGHT AFTER THEY GAVE THEIR REAL PHONE NUMBER WHEN THEY GOT THEIR MOTORCYCLE FINANCED