Man robs employer after befriending his dogs, held with Rs 3.14 lakh in Delhi

New Delhi: In a unique case of burglary, a man managed to steal over Rs 4 lakh from a godown in the Najafgarh area by calmly walking past the guard dogs he appeared to have befriended before, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident was reported on August 20, and the arrested suspect turned out to be an employee of the same godown.

"The theft was not a random strike but a planned act of revenge," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said.

The officer further said the accused, Mumtaz, was allegedly upset with his employer for denying his repeated requests for an advance in his salary and decided to "teach him a lesson" while also making easy money.

The complainant, Mukul Jain, reported the burglary after discovering that Rs 4.5 lakh in cash had been stolen from his godown during the intervening night of August 19 and 20.

The Police registered an FIR at the Najafgarh Police Station, formed multiple teams and launched further investigation into the matter.

"The investigation began with the analysis of CCTV footage, where the burglar was seen entering the premises with a plastic sack covering his head. The intruder then tampered with the cameras and gained access to the office," the DCP said.

An unusual observation was noted in the case by the officer, who mentioned that the dogs inside the warehouse did not attack the man, suggesting that the burglar was familiar to them. Consequently, the team focused on employees who had access to the warehouse and knowledge of the cash.

"Technical surveillance, including call detail records, revealed that the location of one of the employees, Mumtaz, matched the crime scene on the night of the burglary," the DCP said.

The police conducted both manual and electronic surveillance on Mumtaz, 22, a resident of Dwarka Vihar Colony in Najafgarh. Based on specific intelligence, the team intercepted him near the Sai Baba Mandir in Najafgarh around 4.30 pm on the same day. Upon seeing the police, Mumtaz attempted to flee, but all escape routes had been blocked, after which he was apprehended and identified. A search led to the recovery of Rs 3.14 lakh from his possession.

Sharing the profile of the accused, the police said that during interrogation, Mumtaz disclosed that his family hails from Supore in Bihar. His father, who ran a tea stall in Noida, died over a decade ago after a prolonged illness. Mumtaz dropped out of a madrassa at the age of 15 and worked at tea stalls before moving to Haridwar, where he found employment as a warehouse labourer.

"In June 2025, he shifted to Delhi through an acquaintance and began working as a loader in Jain's godown for Rs 15,000 per month. Married with three children, he admitted that financial difficulties and his employer's refusal to provide advance salary pushed him into plotting the burglary," said the officer.

Mumtaz executed the crime with the help of an associate named Vikas, who is yet to be traced. Apart from recovering Rs 3.14 lakh from the stolen sum, investigators are trying to trace the remaining cash, the police said.

Mentioning that the accused has no previous criminal record, the police added that efforts are being made to identify and apprehend his associates.