Two held for TV show inspired ₹25 lakh theft

Delhi Police arrested two men, including an NGO driver, for a ₹25 lakh burglary inspired by a TV show; ₹23.5 lakh was recovered.

The Delhi Police on Saturday said they had arrested two men, including a 43-year-old driver of a non-profit organisation (NGO), for allegedly committing a burglary of ₹25 lakh at the office of the NGO in RK Puram Sector-13 in south Delhi last week. The arrested driver, identified as Rajender Kumar, drew inspiration for the crime from a TV crime show and included his associate, Rajesh Kumar,36, in his burglary plan, the police said, and added that ₹23.5 lakh and a cutter machine that was used in the offence were recovered from the arrested men.

Two held for TV show inspired ₹25 lakh theft

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said that on September 23, the Sarojini Nagar police station received a call regarding a burglary at the office of Odia Samaj Trust NGO in RK Puram Sector-13. A police team reached there and met the NGO’s executive director, JR Das, who alleged that unidentified people broke into the office, cut the almirah placed in the NGO president’s office, and stole ₹25 lakh of ₹67 lakh that was kept inside it. A case of house-trespassing and burglary was registered at the police station and teams were formed to identify and nab the burglars.

Investigators scanned several CCTV cameras and found that two suspects frequently changed disguises using a cap, towel on the neck and wore hand gloves while entering the NGO office and later leaving in an auto-rickshaw. The auto was traced and its driver was questioned. The driver disclosed that he had dropped the suspects at Netaji Nagar in south Delhi. Further route analysis through CCTV cameras exposed the suspicious presence of the NGO’s driver, Rajender Kumar, near Gol Chambari in Netaji Nagar, the DCP said.

“Kumar was taken into custody and during interrogation he confessed to his involvement in the crime. His interrogation led to the arrest of his accomplice, Rajesh. While ₹14.50 lakh was recovered from Kumar’s in-laws’ house in Mansarovar Park in northeast Delhi, ₹9 lakh was recovered from Rajesh’s Burari house,” added Goel.