New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Delhi Police has arrested a 30-year-old man who allegedly drew inspiration from a Bollywood movie ‘Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl’ to dupe women co-passengers during his journeys, officials said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Ankit Choudhary, used to lure women with false promises of job or marriage and offer them food or drinks laced with sedatives, the police said Once they fell unconscious, he used to steal their belongings, they added.
“We arrested Choudhary near the Kashmiri Gate bus terminal. He was previously involved in three cases, including a gang rape, and another case of fraud of the similar nature,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Rohit Meena said.
In a complaint lodged at the Delhi Cantt police station on January 9, a woman alleged she was duped by Choudhary after she boarded a bus from Dehradun to Delhi on January 8, Meena said.
“Choudhary sat beside her and offered food. He duped her on the pretext of offering a job in the Delhi Cantt area. Under the influence of drugged food, the victim lost Rs 23,000 via UPI transactions, and her jewellery, including a mangal sutra, ring, and earrings,” the DCP said.
During the probe, the police team traced the accused’s route, analysed CCTV footage, and enquired about the man.
The interrogation of the accused, a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, revealed his modus operandi of befriending co-passengers, particularly targeting women by offering them false promises of jobs or marriage, the police said.
The man lured the women to gain their confidence and offered them food or drinks laced with sedatives. Once they fell unconscious, he used to steal their money and other belongings, the DCP said.
The police recovered from the accused one leaflet having four tablets, one of which was given to the complainant as well.
They also recovered the jewellery of the complainant and other articles that Choudhary purchased using stolen or cheated money, the police said, adding that his record includes a prior arrest in Bareilly for a similar offence in March 2023.
“After he was released on bail in July 2023, he started committing similar crime again. The accused has confessed to cheating multiple women,” said the DCP. PTI BM RPA
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