Jaipur Police have arrested a notorious interstate burglar wanted in multiple theft cases and accused of using silicone masks and wigs to evade identification, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Satpal Singh Chauhan alias Satpal Fauji (46), was arrested along with an associate after investigators linked him to two recent daytime burglaries in closed flats in the city. Police identified the associate as Pawan Kumar Tanwar.
Police records and previous investigations indicate that the Satpal Fauji gang was active across several states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, West Bengal and Haryana, with Jaipur Police claiming the network operated in more than 12 states.
According to Prashant Kiran, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), a burglary was reported in the Karni Vihar area last month, followed by another theft in Jhotwara on June 12. Investigators found similarities in the modus operandi, with both crimes targeting locked flats during daytime hours.
A special investigation team analysed CCTV footage and other evidence, leading police to conclude that the same individual was involved in both incidents. Acting on intelligence inputs and technical surveillance, officers traced and arrested the suspects.
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Police said Satpal Fauji is a history-sheeter with nearly 66 cases of burglary and housebreaking registered against him since 2004. The cases span more than 12 states, and investigators have so far identified over 20 members associated with his gang.
Officials said the gang specialised in daytime burglaries and targeted residential properties. In one of the thefts under investigation, the accused allegedly spent less than 50 seconds inside the house before escaping with valuables.
“His main method is to steal items from homes. In one burglary, he spent less than fifty seconds inside the house, and within that fifty seconds, he stole everything he wanted,” Kiran said.
To avoid detection, Satpal allegedly used elaborate disguises, including silicone full-face masks and wigs.
“Because he is so notorious, and his photos and videos are in police stations everywhere, he had a silicone mask made for himself, a full-face mask. He had a wig over it. He had two or three such masks, and was preparing for his next crime,” the DCP said.
Police said further investigations are under way to trace other members of the gang and recover stolen property.
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