Narela cash van robbery accused held in shootout at Shahbad Dairy
NEWDELHI: In a brief exchange of fire early on Wednesday in Shahbad Dairy, a team of Delhi police special cell officers shot and arrested one of the accused of the Narela cash van heist reported last month. Hours before the shootout, police had arrested his four associates who were involved in the Narela heist. Police have recovered around ₹8.2 lakh of the stolen cash.
According to police, the main accused caught on Wednesday is Bharat Bhushan alias Tony. His associates are Mahavir Singh, 34, Deepak, 32, Gurucharan, 35, and Vikas Bhardwaj, 24, all residents of Narela.
On April 26, around 2.30pm in a crowded market near Vardhaman Plaza shopping complex, the five men had intercepted the cash van and shot dead the guard and the custodian of the cash and later escape with Rs 12 lakh cash. This was the second incident within three days in Rohini where cash vans were targeted and their custodian shot, after a similar robbery attempt was foiled in Metro Vihar on April 23.
Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Sanjeev Yadav said at 5.20am on Wednesday, police intercepted a Maruti Eeco car near Prahlad Pur in south east Delhi after a tip-off. “When the car was signalled to stop, the driver accelerated. On this, the police team opened fire and deflated the car’s tyre. On losing control of the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Bharat Bhushan, got down and retaliated. Two of the shots fired by him hit the bullet proof vest of constable Rambir. When the police team opened fire, Bhushan was shot in leg. A loaded pistol and cash ₹3.3 lakh was recovered from a bag he was carrying,” Yadav said.
DCP Yadav said the other four men were arrested on Tuesday after police received information about movement of some of the suspects involved in the heist. “We had received inputs that three of the suspects had gone to Haridwar and would return to Delhi. Acting on this, a trap was laid and the team succeeded in apprehending Mahabir, Deepak and Gurcharan from Sector 26 in Rohini. A .32 bore pistol, which was used in the robbery cum double murder and cash ₹3 lakh were recovered from Deepak,” Yadav said. The three helped police arrest Vikas and Bharat in the early hours of Wednesday, the officer said.