Domestic help among three held for stealing ₹60 lakh
NEW DELHI: A domestic help was among three people arrested by Delhi Police on Wednesday for allegedly stealing ₹60 lakh in cash and jewellery from a chartered accountant’s house in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar. The theft took place on Sunday, police said.
Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said that the police had recovered Rs 31.91 lakh in cash, most of the jewellery and some gadgets that had been allegedly stolen.
“There were a total of five people involved in the burglary. Two of the suspects are on the run. We hope to recover the remaining money once we nab them,” said the DCP.
The officer said that one of the suspects, Fatima, 34 — who worked as a domestic help in Lajpat Nagar — conducted a reconnaissance of houses in the area and passed on information to her associates.
“On the pretext of looking for work, Fatima would recce houses that were locked in afternoons,” said the DCP.
Fatima then passed information on to her aides, identified as Mahmood and Mohammad Zakir. The duo later broke into the locked houses and steal whatever they could lay their hands on, said the DCP. “Once they were done, one of the suspects would arrive at the spot in
POLICE SAID TWO OF THE ARRESTED SUSPECTS WERE BURGLARS INVOLVED IN AT LEAST 20 CASES PREVIOUSLY
an e-rickshaw and they would flee,” said the DCP.
On Sunday afternoon, they allegedly targeted a chartered accountant’s house in National Park Residential Area. “The suspects stole cash, gold ornaments, diamond jewellery, watches, laptops and other gadgets,” said the DCP.
The police began their probe by scanning CCTV footage and noticed an e-rickshaw, but its registration number was not visible. The investigators then focused on people who were recently released from jail on bail.
The DCP said that the breakthrough came when two men, Mahmood and Mohammad Zakir, were identified as suspects and arrested and cash, jewellery and other valuables were recovered from their home, said the DCP.
“The men initially denied their role in the burglary, but confessed when we confronted them with evidence. They then revealed the involvement of Mahmood’s wife, Fatima, after which she too was arrested,” said the DCP.
Both, Mahmood and Zakir, turned out to be burglars involved in at least 20 cases previously. “Both had been arrested in March and had been released on bail in August,” said the DCP.