Namaste Gang arrested

Hyderabad April 19: The police officials has been arrested two persons who are members of the Namaste Gang or Good Morning Gang that is involved in a robbery, cheating and other cases registered in various police stations across different States, here on Tuesday.

According to the police officials, Babbu Malik alias Babbu (28) who belongs to Chamman Park in Delhi, and Imran Malik alias Imran (32), who belongs to Pasonda Village of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh were scrap dealers in their native places but were allegedly involved in a gold snatching case in the city.

The duo had allegedly stolen gold ornaments weighing three tolas at gunpoint from the complainant P Venkata Ratnam (59), as he was on his way home after darshan at the Nallagutta Saibaba Temple.It was reported on February 12.

"The two stole the ornaments after threatening to shoot Venkata Ratnam with a pistol at point-blank range. They had stopped him and said Namaste before pulling out the gun," said Avinash Mohanty, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Detective Department.



Babbu and Imran were part of the gang that was involved in chain snatching, robberies and other offenses in urban areas like Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bengaluru, mostly after diverting the attention of victims by approaching them and saying ‘Namaste’ or ‘Good morning’.

They used to purchase old scooters from scrap dealers, send the vehicles to the targeted places or cities via cargo and then travel by air to reach the city, where they roamed around on these vehicles with fake registration plates. In most cases, the robbery was at gunpoint, police said.

Police officials have seized dummy pistols, five laptops, one scooter and gold ornaments weighing three-and-half tolas from the two, who were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.