Gurugram: Four college students held for night-time thefts of car tyres, rims
Gurugram (PTI): The Gurugram Police has busted an alleged tyre-theft gang that was active in the city for the past two months, police said on Saturday.
Four students from different colleges were arrested for allegedly stealing tyres and rims of vehicles parked outside houses and hotels during the night, police said, adding that the accused squandered the proceeds of theft on lavish escapades at clubs.
According to an official, the accused have confessed to 14 cases of tyre and rim thefts, and all four have been taken on a two-day police remand after being produced in court.
The accused were identified as Rishikesh (23), a chartered accountancy student from sector-39 Jharsa; Arjun (22), a native of Siwana village in Jhajjar studying BA (LLB) at Baba Mastnath University, Rohtak; Piyush Rana (23), resident of Jodhpur village in Palwal and a student of B Com in Gurugram University; and Tushar Kumar (22), a native of Bihar's Munger and a B Com student of DSD college, Gurugram.
According to the police, a crime branch team nabbed the gang on Friday.
A senior investigating officer said, during interrogation, the accused revealed that they would go out at night in a blue Maruti Suzuki Fronx car belonging to Arjun.
They would park the car near the target vehicle and, using a jack and other tools, removed the tyres, including the rims. Then, they would leave the vehicle on bricks and load the stolen tyres on to the Fronx before fleeing, the officer added.
The vehicle used in the crimes will be impounded soon, a Gurugram Police spokesperson said.
"During interrogation, the accused revealed that they are childhood friends and have studied together. All of them are fond of parties and clubs, and began stealing when they couldn't get pocket money from home. They had been actively involved in thefts for the past two months," he added.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
