NEW DELHI - Police have busted a gang of car thieves headed by a woman, who would lure men travelling alone at night by asking for a lift after which her accomplices would rob the victim of his vehicle and valuables, officials said Friday.

Police started investigations following a spurt in the number of cases where cars would be stolen through a similar modus operandi.

“She used to take the driver to a pre-decided lonely place where other members of gang would also come. And when both of them would be in a compromising state, the gang members used to beat both the woman and the driver and take away their valuables, cash, mobile phones as well as the vehicle,” a police officer said.

The accused Ravi Malik, Pankaj Arora, Sushank and gang leader Anjali, who is also a call girl, were arrested Wednesday evening from south Delhi on the basis of specific information that they would be coming to the Hauz Khas area.

“We had put barricades and were checking vehicles. At that time, Malik and the other three accused who were in a car tried to speed away. But they were caught and were arrested,” the police officer added.

“On interrogation, it was revealed that Anjali is the leader of the gang. The other main accused Ravi Malik, a property dealer whose business suffered due to recession, had developed relations with several call girls. He met Anjali, who is also a call girl, and hatched a conspiracy with her to commit car thefts in this way,” the police officer said.

“Malik also roped in his friend Pankaj Arora and his nephew Shashank into the gang. Malik has studied up to Class 10 but left studies early. Anjali, a native of Uttar Pradesh, has studied up to Class 8 only. She left her studies due to poor financial conditions and started working in an export factory,” he said.

“She got married to one Wazir but left him and started working as a call girl to earn quick and easy money,” the official added.