Watches worth Rs 1.30 cr stolen from Connaught Place showroom

NEW DELHI: At a time when the city was on high alert and police patrolling in Lutyens Delhi intensified, thieves struck a watch showroom in Connaught Place and allegedly decamped with “680 watches worth Rs 1.30 crore”.

The incident took place on January 28 at the showroom located in Regal Building, police said.

According to the complainant, Mayank Barodia: “When we came to the shop in the morning, the guard informed us about the theft last (Sunday) night. We found that watches of brands like Seiko, Casio, Guess, Fossil, Titan, Omega, Longines, Rado, etc, had been stolen.

“They also took away Rs 1.5-2 lakh in cash and all the watches that had come for repair... about 680 watches were stolen in all.”

The clasp on the shutter was found broken. The guard was not on duty that night since he was not feeling well and had gone to sleep, said Barodia. “We do not keep the CCTV cameras switched on since it’s an old shop and the wiring is weak. The cameras are switched off at night,” he added.

Meanwhile, police are trying to scan CCTV footage of the nearby shops and bank ATMS to gain clues to the accused. It is suspected to be the handiwork of a gang that had also struck the showroom of an electronics major.

Police are also questioning the employees of the showroom. “The accused haven’t been identified yet but we are investigating the matter. They haven’t yet shared the list of the items that have been stolen,” said a senior police officer.