Noida police arrested two suspected repeat offenders after an encounter in Sector 43 late on Thursday night, with both men suffering gunshot injuries to their legs during the exchange, according to the police. The accused were taken to hospital for treatment.
The Sector 39 police station team identified the men as Salman, 30, and Tanveer, 37, both residents of Bhajanpura in Delhi. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Kumar Mishra said the two had 94 cases registered against them across Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad, involving allegations of robbery, theft, weapons possession and offences under gang-related laws.
Police said a stolen motorcycle, an illegal firearm and Rs 2.19 lakh in cash were recovered from the accused. The Delhi Crime Branch was also looking for them, according to the police account.
Investigators alleged that the two men worked as air-conditioner and vehicle repair technicians during the day and carried out robberies and chain-snatching incidents at night. Police said they used stolen motorcycles to travel through the city and target pedestrians. They allegedly wore a shirt over a T-shirt during the crimes and discarded the outer shirt afterwards to make identification through closed-circuit television footage more difficult.
According to the police, the accused stole a motorcycle in the Sector 39 area in September and allegedly snatched a chain from a woman in Sector 44. Police said they abandoned that motorcycle, stole another one and continued moving between locations. The investigation has linked them to the theft of six motorcycles, which were allegedly left along the route before the two escaped towards Delhi in an e-rickshaw.
Police records cited by the department show that Salman has 49 cases registered against him in police stations across Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad. The cases include allegations of robbery, theft, illegal possession of weapons and offences under gang-related legislation. Tanveer has faced criminal cases since 2006, and police said 45 cases have been registered against him.
The police also said both men had been jailed more than 10 times and allegedly resumed criminal activity after their release. Their arrest follows a police investigation into vehicle theft and chain-snatching incidents in Noida. Further legal proceedings and investigation will determine the charges in the latest case.
