New Delhi: Vicky, 21, had never thought that the iron-barred windows, the wooden bench and the men in ‘khaki’ could give him a homely feel. Even a whip at the police station was far better than being urinated upon on the railway tracks.
The youth, a class 12 dropout, was caught by the New Friends Colony police for pick-pocketing. But it’s not the first time that Vicky was in the police station. He, himself, has approached the officers on several occasions to get out of the abyss of the crime.
“My life was different eight months ago. I used to go to school and live a life like any other Delhi student. One day I was going with my friend, who was already a pickpocket, when the kingpin spotted us. He beat us up and asked us to give Rs 1,000 to Rs 30,000 a month,” Vicky told CNN-News18.
The kingpins Pawan alias Diggi and Amit are mostly active in South Delhi’s Badarpur, Lajpat Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur, Sarita Vihar, Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar.
Both Amit and Pawan are listed as “bad characters” at the police station. They have several cases against them, including murder, theft and crimes pertaining to sections of the Arms Act. Whenever they are arrested they get out of the jail on bail within a fortnight.
“Once when I was caught by the NFC police, the SHO sahib beat me up. Then we made calls to Pawan. Since he has an understanding with some police officers, he paid Rs 10,000 and we were out,” Vicky claimed.
Recalling his first encounter with the wanted criminals, Vicky said, “When I told Pawan that I don’t have money to give him, he beat me and asked me to start pick-pocketing. I was given bus number 473, where I learnt the tricks of the trade from fellow criminals.”
The youth confessed to have pick-pocketed 70 to 80 persons on the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus.
While two of the gang members would be inside the bus or in the queue to find their targets, the other two would be outside. Once they pickpocket, they pass-on the stolen wallet or mobile to other accomplices to avoid being caught.
“There has also been an instance when I have tried to escape, but Pawan got to know about my whereabouts. He came with his people and beat me up. They made a video and started blackmailing me,” Vicky claimed.
“Gandi gandi video banate hain, dhamki dete hain, kehte hain jeb kaato (they make obscene videos, threaten and force us to pickpocket),” a visibly shaken Vicky said.
Three months ago, the youth tried to get out of the whirl of despair but was again sucked into it by the kingpin. “I started working at a shop in south Delhi but Pawan got to know and came to the shop. He took me to a railway track, beat me for six hours, urinated on me and made an obscene video,” Vicky said as tears welled up his eyes.
According to the youth, he is not alone. There are several other youngsters in the gang whose videos have been shot and they are threatened with dire consequences.
When Vicky approached the Badarpur police station to get him and others out of the trap, the officers asked him if he could help them nab the kingpins. “Had I known their whereabouts, I would have caught them myself,” he claimed.
The youth said that he feels helpless now. He has approached the police twice but no action has been taken yet.
When CNN-News18 approached senior district officials, they said they weren’t aware of Vicky’s plight. They said that they will have to get a report from the police station first to comment on the matter.
The police station staff confirmed us of Vicky approaching the police station.
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