Delhi Police have arrested five people in connection with the robbery of Rs 1.5 crore from employees carrying cash from a property business in Chandni Chowk, recovering about Rs 1 crore, a motorcycle and other items allegedly bought with the stolen money. The robbery was carried out near the Geeta Colony flyover using a pistol-shaped toy lighter, according to the police.
The incident took place on the night of September 7, when two employees of a Chandni Chowk property businessman were travelling by auto-rickshaw to Safdarjung with Rs 3 crore. Three men riding a black Splendor motorcycle intercepted the auto near the flyover, surrounded the employees and displayed what appeared to be a weapon. They fled towards ITO after taking one bag containing Rs 1.5 crore, Delhi Police said.
The arrests were made by a joint team from the Daryaganj police station, the Special Staff and the Anti-Auto Theft Squad. Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh said the investigation involved examining hundreds of CCTV recordings along the route taken by the victims and the suspected escape route.
Police said the first breakthrough came on September 12, four days after the robbery, following technical surveillance and an examination of the footage. Investigators subsequently conducted raids in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The recoveries included approximately Rs 1 crore in cash, the motorcycle allegedly used during the robbery, expensive iPhones purchased with the stolen money and a motorcycle valued at about Rs 2.10 lakh. A pistol-shaped toy lighter was also recovered.
The police identified Rinku, a resident of Ludhiana, as the alleged mastermind. He had previously worked as an accountant at a shop in Karol Bagh and, around three years ago, had handled the movement of large amounts of cash on his employer’s instructions. Police said this experience gave him knowledge of cash transfers. Another accused, Najafgarh resident Adarsh Tiwari, ran a tuition centre in the area and was seen in CCTV footage at the location from where the employees began their journey.
Police identified Deepak, who is from Rajasthan, as the accused who allegedly displayed the weapon and took the cash bag. The supplied report does not identify the two other arrested individuals or specify whether the entire stolen amount has been recovered. The arrests and recoveries remain based on the police account of the investigation, with further legal proceedings expected to follow.
