New Delhi, Jun 27: The Delhi Police detained more than 1,500 people for up to two hours and seized about 270 vehicles from its central district during an intensified night patrol to contain street crimes in the national capital, officials said on Tuesday.

The intensive campaign between 10 pm and 2 am Monday night came two days after a delivery agent and his associate were allegedly robbed of Rs 2 lakh at gunpoint by four motorcycle-borne men inside the busy Pragati Maidan tunnel. Seven people have so far been arrested in connection with the Saturday incident.

In the Central district alone, 1,587 people were detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with the reasonable directions of a police officer) of the the Delhi Police Act to verify their particulars and whereabouts and 273 vehicles were seized, a senior police officer said.

The vehicles were seized under section 66 (police to take charge of unclaimed property) of the same act, he said.

Police said they were detained for not more than two hours to check their whereabouts and verify their particulars.

"The very purpose of this exercise was to enhance police visibility, instil sense of safety and security among the residents of the district and to deter the bad characters. For the purpose, an elaborate plan was chalked out and accordingly special pickets were placed at strategic locations, mobile squads were prepared for joint patrolling and special teams were prepared for foot patrolling," the officer said.

All areas particularly secluded places, narrow streets and dimly lit stretches were covered by foot and mobile patrolling teams, he said.

During checking, sensitive pockets, listed criminals were specifically checked.

The drive was carried out on Monday from 10 pm to 2 am.

According to the police, action was also taken under relevant sections of the CrPC against "bad characters" and those disturbing peace.

Officers of all ranks were on the ground on Monday night with special emphasis on foot patrolling. The force was mobilised in all vulnerable areas of the district and verifications were carried out in the homes of "bad characters", they said.

A large number of police personnel were deployed across the 15 districts of the force to check suspicious movements and curb criminal activities, police said.

The special drive was carried out under the supervision of the special commissioners of police (law and order) Dependra Pathak and Sagar Preet Hooda who were also on the ground to ensure that no untoward incident takes place and citizens feel safe to travel even late at night, according to police.

Intense checking was carried out at all important locations, including Red Fort, the Pragati Maidan tunnel, the main roads, dark spots and border areas of the national capital. Extra pickets have also been installed to keep an eye on suspicious vehicles, a police officer said.

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New Delhi (PTI): A couple has been arrested for allegedly stealing cash or valuables from elderly passengers travelling in e-rickshaws in west Delhi's Moti Nagar area, police said on Sunday.

The accused has been identified as Suresh (25) and his wife, the police said, adding that they were apprehended after an investigation into the theft of Rs 1 lakh from a 60-year-old passenger earlier this week.

According to the police, the complainant, a resident of Kirti Nagar, had hired an e-rickshaw from a showroom on Shivaji Marg on May 13.

The man was carrying a small bag containing Rs 1 lakh cash. After reaching his destination, he found that the bag had been torn and the cash was missing, they said.

An e-FIR was registered at Moti Nagar police station on May 14 and an investigation was launched. A team analysed CCTV footage from the route taken by the complainant and identified the e-rickshaw allegedly used in the crime.

"Using technical surveillance and local inputs, the accused couple was traced and apprehended," a senior police officer said.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly disclosed that they used to target elderly passengers travelling in e-rickshaws and steal cash and valuables from their bags during transit without raising suspicion.

Police recovered Rs 90,000 of the stolen amount from the possession of the accused along with the e-rickshaw used in the commission of the offence.

"The accused had no previous criminal involvement on record. Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the couple was involved in other similar theft cases targeting passengers and senior citizens in different parts of the city," the police officer added.