Delhi: 4 held for looting Rs 26 lakh from trading office in Chandni Chowk

New Delhi: Four men were arrested for looting Rs 26 lakh from a trading office in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk by tying up the lone employee present there and fleeing with the cash, an official said on Wednesday.

Mukesh (24), the alleged mastermind and an insider, had earlier worked at an office in the same building, the police said, adding that Mukesh, Rajmal alias Raju (44), Motilal (26), and Kailash (22) were arrested.

Kamlesh, another man involved in the crime, is absconding. The robbery occurred on May 31 when Kamlesh and Kailash, posing as couriers, entered the office and overpowered the employee by binding his hands and feet, and muzzled him before looting the cash from a cupboard and fleeing the spot, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said.

After a case was registered, nearly 250 CCTV camera footage were analysed from Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Dhaula Kuan, and even along the Jaipur highway.

Raju, Motilal, Kailash, and Mukesh, all natives of Rajasthan, were arrested after raids conducted in various towns of Rajasthan, including Amet and Dhelana.

Mukesh was well-acquainted with the operations and the cash movement in the victim’s office, the officer added.

“The accused arrived in Delhi on May 27 and stayed in different hotels in Paharganj to avoid detection while conducting recces of the area. On May 31, Kamlesh and Kailash executed the robbery, while Rajmal and Motilal provided logistical support, police said,” Banthia said.

After the robbery, the men fled the city in stages. First, heading to Lal Qila, then to Paharganj, and finally taking a government roadways bus from Dhaula Kuan. The CCTV trail eventually led the police team to Jaipur, where further analysis and local inquiries helped identify their taxi route to their native villages in Rajsamand.

Kailash was the first to be arrested in a raid at his house in Dhelana, and his disclosure led to the arrest of the other three.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the gang had previously committed a similar robbery in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Information about this was shared with the local police there.

Recovered items include Rs 18 lakh in cash and clothes worn by the accused during the robbery.