Gangster wanted in multiple robberies held from UP after 14 years on the run Delhi Police

New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested an alleged gangster who had been absconding for nearly 14 years in connection with multiple cases of dacoity and robbery across Delhi and Punjab, an officer said on Sunday.
     The accused, identified as Arjun Prasad (44) alias Arjun Pasi, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Gonda, was apprehended from Janki Nagar area of the district, police said.
     "He was wanted in several cases registered at Punjabi Bagh and Moti Nagar in Delhi, as well as Model Town in Ludhiana, Punjab, and had been evading arrest since 2012. He had been declared a proclaimed offender by courts in these cases," a senior police officer said.
     According to police, Pasi was the mastermind behind multiple dacoities, including a 2012 house invasion in Punjabi Bagh where around 400 grams of gold was looted by attackers after the overpowering the occupants.
     "In another case in 2016, he allegedly orchestrated the theft of jewellery worth Rs 25 lakh and a licensed pistol by planting a minor as a domestic help," the officer said.
     Pasi is accused of leading a gang that carried out a dacoity in Ludhiana in 2018, looting Rs 40 lakh in cash and over 1 kg of gold.
     "During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he and his associates used to plant insiders in targeted households to gather intelligence before executing robberies," the officer said.
     Police said the gang operated in a planned manner, striking at night and disposing of stolen jewellery through local receivers.
     The arrest was made on Saturday by a crime branch team after tracing his movements to a newly-developed colony in Janki Nagar area, where he was living under a changed identity.
     Police said Pasi has around 20 criminal cases registered against him across multiple states, including charges of dacoity, robbery, burglary, and under the Arms Act.
     Further investigation is underway to trace his associates and recover the stolen properties, police added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)