Fingerprints help cops nab man for decade-old robbery

Police said that the identity of accused was established by matching his fingerprints with the chance fingerprints lifted from burglary spot more than a decade ago.

Cops said the accused was identified as Sabir Malik, a resident of Saheed Nagar, Ghaziabad.

Malik was initially arrested by Crime Branch of Delhi Police for possession of a country-made pistol.

"His fingerprints were obtained and criminal dossier was prepared. Further, the fingerprints of the accused were run by the Finger Print Bureau of Delhi Police and it was discovered that the fingerprints of accused Sabir Malik matched with the chance fingerprints in the 2006 burglary case," police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Chinmoy Biswal said that on December 24, 2006, a Kalkaji businessman had reported a burglary at his house.

"Chance prints from the crime scene had been preserved and during inspection of the scene fingerprints of the suspects were lifted from the spot by the District Crime Team. However, no arrest could be made in the case and the burglary case remained unsolved," said the DCP.

Interrogation of the accused revealed that he is a member of Kalu and Billa gang, involved in burglaries across Delhi as well as other metropolitan cities.

The modus operandi of the gang involves look for flats which are locked. A female member of the gang would visit posh localities of Kalkaji and Greater Kailash in the afternoon and used to look for locked flats. After detailed reccee of the targeted building, she would inform the other gang members to rob the place.