In a major crackdown, the Gandhinagar Local Crime Branch has dismantled the notorious ‘Khekda Gang,’ a professional syndicate responsible for large-scale metro cable thefts across multiple Indian states. Operating with precision, the gang targeted metro lines in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh, accumulating 35 major thefts.
On the night of June 2, 2025, during an IPL match, the gang struck near the old Koba Metro station in Gandhinagar, stealing 700 meters of cable valued at Rs17.85 lakh. Utilizing the deserted stretch near Infocity Post Office between 2 and 3 am, the criminals scaled trees and metro pillars to carry out their heist.
SP Ravi Teja Wasam Shett revealed that following the theft, the police deployed technical surveillance and informants to track the suspects to a rented house in Kalol. There, the Crime Branch raided the premises and arrested four key gang members: Musharraf Irshad Mulejat, Rashid Ishaq Ismail Dhobi, Rashid Abdul Aziz Shabbir Ansari, and Irshad Majeed Allamehar Malik. Authorities recovered copper-stripped cables packed for shipment to Delhi by train.
During interrogations, the arrested confessed to operating in 14 Delhi metro locations, 12 in Pune, 6 in Panvel (Navi Mumbai), and several in Bhopal and Indore. Their modus operandi involved renting hotel rooms near metro stations, hiring vehicles via JustDial, and securing safehouses through local brokers. The gang targeted metro bridge pillars near trees or walls, climbed using ropes, cut heavy-duty cables with industrial cutters, stripped the copper, and shipped it from Ahmedabad’s Kalupur station to Delhi, where illegal dealers resold it.
Raja Qureshi, although not involved in the actual thefts, acted as a receiver and financier, arranging transport and resale of the stolen materials.
The police have registered the case under Sections 35(1)(e) and 106(1) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita. The investigation continues to track down the 11 absconding members and dismantle the wider criminal network.
This bust delivers a strong blow to one of India’s most organized metro cable theft rings.
