Auto-lifters’ gang busted: 4 arrested, 43 bikes recovered

LUCKNOW: With the arrest of four men, the Krishna Nagar police busted an inter-state gang and recovered 43 stolen motorcycles from them on Sunday.

Those arrested were identified as Ajay Shukla of Hardoi who was residing in Madan Kheda area of Lucknow. The three others were Anuj Kumar, Sanjay of Hardoi and Rajesh Kumar Chaurasia, a resident of Rajajipuram, Lucknow.

They were booked under sections of the IPC, including Gangster Act. During interrogation, the miscreants revealed that they had sold around 100 motorcycles in Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi and across the Indian border in Nepal. The gang members were held when AK Pandey, station officer, Krishna Nagar police station, was carrying out vehicle checking drive at Bara Birwa crossing on Sunday afternoon.

When cops asked four bikeborne persons to stop, they tried to flee. But cops arrested them after a chase. After checking papers, police found that both the motorcycles were stolen.

When cops interrogated the arrested persons, they revealed that about 43 motorcycles stolen by them were dumped at an isolated area at Nadarganj industrial area. Later, cops recovered these bikes from the location.

“It is a major breakthrough. Now, there will be let-up in incidents of auto-lifting,” said Deepak Kumar, SSP. “The miscreants used to lift motorcycles from shopping malls, hospitals and other crowded places.”

Meanwhile, the cops were trying to trace the other motorcycles already sold by the gang members. “Rajesh Kumar Chaurasia used to get fake registration papers of motorcycles prepared to make sure they were disposed of easily without any suspicion,” said station officer, Krishna Nagar. The SSP announced a prize of Rs 20,000 for the team that made the breakthrough.