5 held for stealing 6 tonnes of iron rods from construction sites across NCR

Noida: Five persons were arrested for allegedly stealing over six tonnes of iron rods from 16 construction sites across NCR in a month and selling them to a scrap dealer in Ghaziabad. The gang leader, police said, was shot in the leg during an exchange of fire.The accused were identified as Raju Singh alias Raja (34), Rahul Singh (30), Arjun Kumar (27) and Sunil Kumar (20), all residents of Delhi, and Shabbir (45), a scrap dealer from Ghaziabad.Abhay Kumar Mishra, Noida ADCP, said a team from Sector 58 police station was checking vehicles at Jaipuriya junction in Sector 62 on Saturday night when it tried to stop Raju and Rahul, who were riding an Apache bike. The duo allegedly sped towards D Park. Their motorcycle skidded on a bend, causing the two to fall off it. Police said they then opened fire at the team, prompting retaliatory firing in which Raju was shot in the leg. He was taken to a hospital, while Rahul was arrested.Police recovered Rs 2,500 in cash from them, a country-made .315-bore pistol, a live cartridge and an empty cartridge from the duo. The motorcycle they were riding was stolen from Sector 20 a few months ago, and an FIR had been registered there.During questioning, Rahul allegedly named Arjun and Sunil, who were waiting behind D Park with a scooter. They were subsequently arrested from Khoda Road.“During questioning, the accused said they conducted recces before stealing iron rods from construction sites and selling them to a scrap dealer in Ghaziabad,” Mishra said. Police recovered two quintals of rods from Shabbir’s possession.Mishra said Raju was the gang leader and had more than a dozen cases registered against him across NCR. His criminal record dates back to 2013, when he allegedly stole a vehicle in Delhi.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Noida | Silver Rate in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida | Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Petrol Price in Noida | Diesel Price in Noida | CNG Price in Noida | LPG Price in NoidaStay updated with the latest Noida news. Download the TOI App.