Man resists robbery bid, beaten to death with wooden log

THE ACCUSED USED A WOMAN, A GANG MEMBER, AS A BAIT TO LURE VICTIMS

NEWDELHI:A 25-year-old man was beaten to death with a wooden log for resisting a robbery by a gang of three, including a woman posed as a sex worker, in outer Delhi’s Rohini on Monday, police said. All three suspects were arrested.

The three robbers had taken away the victim’s mobile phone and ₹1,000 cash, SD Mishra, deputy commissioner of police (Rohini district), said.

Using the 25-year-old woman as bait, the trio had robbed more people in the past but their other victims were yet to be identified, the officer said .

The two men, Monu and Anil, were found to be involved in 18 and 11 previous crimes, including murder and snatching. The robbery-cum-murder was the first registered criminal case against the woman, Payal.

The victim lived with his family in Mangolpuri and was unemployed, the DCP said. “His body with injuries to the head and other parts was found near a metro pillar in Prashant Vihar on Monday. A tattoo bearing his name on his arm helped us identify him,” said DP Mishra.

As the victim’s phone and wallet were missing, the police suspected it to be a robbery case and began analysing CCTV footage near the murder spot and checked the activities of local criminals recently released from jail.

“One of our beat constables was aware of a local snatcher Monu being released on bail in August-end. When CCTV footage showed some suspects, the constable checked if Monu was one of them. Probe confirmed Monu’s involvement in the murder and helped us arrest his associates, Anil and Payal,” the DCP said.

The officer said Monu joined Anil and Payal and robbed men. “Payal would approach the victims posing as a sex worker. The two men would then accost the victim and rob them,” said the DCP.

But when they targeted a man on Monday, he resisted their robbery bid. “The trio then used a log of wood to thrash him. The victim suffered serious injuries in the process and died,” said the DCP.

Until mid-september, Delhi has seen nearly six robberies every day on an average since the beginning of this year. The police said robberies have dipped by nearly 20% compared to the corresponding period last year.