New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested five men, including a former employee of a retired Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist, for allegedly stealing Rs 2 crore in cash and gold ornaments at knife point from the latter’s residence in Rohini, officials said on Monday.
The arrests were made in two different operations, they added.
The incident took place in the Prashant Vihar area around 12:50 pm on October 18, when five men forcibly entered the scientist’s house, posing as courier personnel, a senior police officer said.
Jasmeen Singh alias Gifty (42) and the former employee of the scientist, Gaurav Kawatra (36), who provided information to the robbers, have been arrested, the officer said.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has arrested three more accused and recovered Rs 1.1 crore from their possession.
Acting on a tip-off, Crime Branch sleuths intercepted Kamal (22) and Ashish (22) under the Narela flyover. The duo tried to flee but were apprehended, the officer said.
Further investigation is underway to nab the remaining accused, he added.
The scientist and his wife were at home when one of the accused approached the former on the staircase of the house on the pretext of some paper work for a delivery, the officer said.
The accused then pushed him inside, covered his mouth and threatened him with a knife, demanding for the cash kept in the house by his son, the officer said.
The intruders restrained the couple, searched both floors of the house and stole gold ornaments and cash, before locking them inside, he added.
Police registered an FIR and launched a probe. CCTV footage obtained from the area was scanned and the suspects were spotted, the officer said.
The accused had concealed the registration number of a motorcycle they had used during the crime, but by following their route through the footage, the number of the vehicle was ascertained, the officer said.
He said the faces of the accused were also visible in the footage, which led the police team to identify them and track them to Karol Bagh.
The officer added that the police team also recovered Rs 10.15 lakh in cash, Rs 2.89 lakh frozen in a bank account and a newly-bought mobile phone worth Rs 1.38 lakh from the possession of Gifty and Kawatra.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Bhatia said their team was also investigating the matter.
The team received information that two of the accused were en route to Delhi from Haryana with the stolen property, Bhatia said.
Acting on the tip-off, Kamal (22) and Ashish (22) were intercepted under the Narela flyover, he added.
The duo were carrying two bags full of cash amounting to Rs 76 lakh, police said.
The fifth accused, Pawan Singh (22), was also arrested and cash amounting to Rs 34 lakh was recovered from his possession, the ACP said.
During interrogation, Pawan revealed that he, along with five of his associates, had hatched the plan to rob the scientist, the officer said.
He told police that Kawatra conducted reconnaissance of the house and gave them all the information regarding the money and gold jewellery kept there. They hatched a plan and went to the house posing as courier-delivery boys, Bhatia added.
He said one of the accused first entered the house and subsequently, the rest of them barged in. PTI BM RC
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