Delhi: 'Bunty and Babli' con duo arrested for laptop thefts
What's the story
A Delhi-based "Bunty and Babli" con couple has been arrested for a series of laptop thefts. Pawan Kumar Bir Singh and Anita Sharma were nabbed on a train near Bodh Gaya, Bihar. They allegedly stole 38 laptops from a Nagpur trader and 85 laptops from a Noida shop, with the stolen goods later sold in Delhi's gray markets.
Crime details
Duo's modus operandi and subsequent arrest
Reportedly, the duo stole at least 150 laptops from different cities. After every heist, they would escape to holiday destinations till their money ran out. The police caught them after the Nagpur heist when they planned another robbery in Puri. A complaint by a showroom owner led Bajaj Nagar police to investigate the theft of 38 laptops worth ₹15 lakh.
Investigation progress
Duo's deception and police investigation
Pawan and Anita posed as IT company directors to dupe traders into supplying laptops. They rented a hall near Laxmi Nagar to establish fake workstations. After receiving the laptops, they vanished and switched off their phones. Nagpur Police employed advanced cellphone surveillance to track them down. The couple was arrested on November 16 but was sent to judicial custody due to election duties.
Court proceedings
Duo's remand and recovery of stolen laptops
On November 23, they were remanded in police custody for further interrogation, however, the court denied additional custody requests. Twelve stolen laptops were recovered from Delhi's gray market during the investigation. Reportedly, the duo sold these brand-new stolen gadgets at bargain prices of ₹10,000-₹15,000 each to gray market traders, who then resold them for ₹25,000-₹30,000.