New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) A habitual offender was arrested and a daylight burglary case cracked after a Delhi Police officer posed as a fruit seller to trap the accused, officials said on Saturday.
Jewellery worth Rs 25 lakh was recovered following the arrest, which was kept in a concealed locker in central Delhi, they said.
The accused, identified as Kalam Nadaf (23), a native of Darbhanga in Bihar, was arrested from Baljeet Nagar on April 28, police said.
The case came to light after a burglary was reported at a house in South Patel Nagar between 6 and 7 am on April 28. The complainant told police that unknown persons had decamped with a locker containing gold and silver jewellery, along with some cash.
An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the BNS, and a team was formed to trace the culprits.
During the investigation, police recovered a suspicious mobile phone from the crime scene. “A call received on the phone provided a crucial lead. Acting on it, a police team laid a trap,” a senior officer said.
Head Constable Vikas, part of the investigating team, disguised himself as a fruit seller and contacted the suspect on the pretext of returning the phone. When the accused arrived at the designated spot and offered a reward, he was overpowered by the police team, officials said.
During interrogation, the accused initially tried to mislead investigators but later confessed, according to police. He revealed that he had stolen the locker along with jewellery and cash, and hid it at a nearby under-construction building due to its heavy weight, officials said.
At his instance, the concealed locker was recovered and opened in the presence of the complainant, leading to the recovery of jewellery worth approximately Rs 25 lakh, police said. Additionally, artificial jewellery and Rs 920 in cash were recovered from his possession.
Police said Nadaf is a school dropout and a habitual offender, previously involved in multiple cases of theft and burglary across Delhi. PTI SSJ PRK
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