Self-staged Rs 37.5 lakh robbery by firm's employees busted; 3 arrested

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) A robbery of Rs 37.5 lakh near Burari Flyover in north Delhi turned out to be a self-staged conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by two employees of a private company along with their associates, officials said on Saturday. Police solved the case and recovered almost the entire amount stolen. Three accused, including the two employees of the victim company's advertising and newspaper publishing business, were arrested on Friday, while efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects, police said. The police received a PCR call regarding a cash robbery at Wazirabad police station on July 9. Complainant Mohan Dass told police that he and his colleagues, Abhishek and Yogesh, had collected Rs 45.5 lakh in cash from Chandni Chowk for delivery to their employer's residence in Saraswati Vihar. "Mohan Dass and Abhishek were travelling on one motorcycle carrying Rs 37.5 lakh in a bag, while Yogesh was following on another motorcycle with Rs 8 lakh," the officer said. The officer said that near Burari Flyover on the Outer Ring Road around 6 pm, three men riding a black motorcycle allegedly intercepted them by hitting their motorcycle, snatched the bag containing Rs 37.5 lakh and fled towards Nirankari Bhawan. The complainant and Abhishek allegedly caught one of the suspects with the help of passersby, but, instead of informing the police, Abhishek and Yogesh took him on their motorcycle towards their office in Badli. They later claimed that the accused escaped near the GTB Nagar Metro Station after biting Yogesh on his shoulder. "An FIR was registered at Wazirabad police station on July 10, and an investigation was launched," the officer said. During the probe, the police analysed CCTV footage from Chandni Chowk to Burari and Mukherjee Nagar, examined call detail records and questioned the company employees. Investigators became suspicious after Abhishek claimed that the apprehended accused had taken away his mobile phone while escaping. The alleged bite mark on Yogesh's shoulder did not appear genuine. A search of the employee's motorcycle led to the recovery of the "stolen" mobile phone from its storage compartment, exposing the fabricated escape story, the police said. During sustained interrogation, Abhishek and Yogesh confessed to planning the robbery and revealed the name of their associate, Vipin. Technical surveillance confirmed the cash had been collected in Vipin's presence at Chandni Chowk. Investigators then laid a trap to make him believe that his associates had escaped police suspicion and were demanding their share of the robbed money. Trusting the plan, Vipin disclosed his location in Jahangirpuri, where he was arrested on Friday while allegedly trying to flee. A search of his house led to the recovery of Rs 36.92 lakh in cash, along with four mobile phones and the motorcycle used in the crime, the police said. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they had become acquainted at a cafe run by Vipin in Rohini earlier. Knowing that Abhishek and Yogesh regularly transported large amounts of cash for their employer, they allegedly conspired to stage the robbery with the help of four other associates, the police said. PTI BM SMV KSI KSI