Rs 7.6 crore daylight heist in Delhi

In one of the biggest heists in the national capital in recent years, a businessman’s employees were waylaid and robbed of Rs 7.69 crore at gunpoint in south east Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on Tuesday. Two stolen vehicles used by the accused have been seized by the police, but the armed assailants are yet to be arrested.

One of the cars was robbed from a Deccan Herald employee’s husband in north Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on January 24. According to the police, the incident took place around 9:30 am when Gurgaon-based businessman Rahul Ahuja’s manager Rakesh Kumar, and three other employees—driver Subodh, Rajesh and Baijnath—were heading towards central Delhi’s Karol Bagh in a Honda City car.

In his complaint to the police, Rakesh said they had collected the cash from Kalkaji and Greater Kailash, and were on way to deposit the amount in two banks in Karol Bagh.

“They were followed by three more employees—Sandy, his brother Bandi and gunman Brijesh—in a Hyundai i20 car,” sources said. The vehicle, however, got stuck in traffic.

Soon after the first car crossed Moolchand flyover, a Maruti WagonR car overtook the vehicle and suddenly applied brakes which led to a collision between the two cars.

When the victims alighted from the vehicle, the WagonR’s driver got involved in a heated argument with them. Minutes later, three to four men carrying pistols alighted from a Hyundai Verna car and overpowered the victims. The armed men then entered the City car and fled with Rs 7.69 crore cash kept in two separate bags. Thereafter, Rakesh informed the police at 9:38 am that five to six men robbed a City car and fled towards Moolchand.

At 9:58 am, another PCR call was made using another mobile phone reporting that the robbed City car had been taken towards Pragati Maidan.

The culprits abandoned the WagonR car on the spot, while the Verna car was found abandoned in south east Delhi’s Jangpura within two hours of the incident. Initial probe has revealed that the WagonR car was stolen from Jahangirpuri, while the Verna car was found to be stolen from west Delhi’s Mundka. “The City car was later found at Sewa Nagar railway crossing near Barapullah flyover,” sources added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police P Karunakaran said a case of robbery has been registered with Lajpat Nagar police station.