The Delhi police have arrested a drug-addict brother-sister duo, dubbed the 'Bunty-Babli' pair, for allegedly snatching gold chains from women in south Delhi and nearby areas, an official said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Neelam alias Rita (24) and her 17-year-old brother, both residents of Ambedkar Nagar, the police said.
According to the police, the siblings are drug addicts and belong to a family with a criminal background.
Their father, once a member of the 'Thak-Thak' gang, was involved in a Rs 40-lakh robbery in Uttar Pradesh in 2018 during which a policeman was killed. He was later injured in an encounter and is now confined to a wheelchair.
Four gold chains and a scooter used in the crimes have been recovered from their possession, they said.
"Several incidents of chain-snatching involving a boy and a girl riding a scooter were reported from Malviya Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur and Kartavya Path in recent weeks. In all cases, the girl would snatch the chain while the boy sped away," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said.
The latest incident took place on October 25 near Mansingh Road when a woman's gold chain with a diamond locket was snatched by the duo, who fled on a scooter, the police said.
Based on CCTV footage from over 50 cameras and local intelligence, the suspects were traced to the Dakshinpuri area. They were apprehended from Pushp Vihar in Saket after a brief operation, a senior police officer said.
Four gold chains weighing a total of around 23 grams and the scooter used in the crimes have been recovered. The woman accused has a previous involvement in a theft case registered at Paschim Vihar West police station, the officer said.
The arrested duo have been linked to at least four cases registered in Malviya Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur and Kartavya Path police stations, officials said, adding that further investigation is underway to trace their other involvements.