Seven held for robbing cash delivery agent inside Pragati Maidan tunnel

New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested seven persons in connection with the daylight robbery at gunpoint inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel on June 24, an official said on Tuesday.

Police said that raids are being conducted in Delhi-NCR and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to nab the remaining two to three accused, who are on the run.

According to police, five accused were arrested by two separate teams of the Crime Branch and two accused were arrested by a combined team of North District and New Delhi District.

The accused have been identified as Usman Ali alias Kallu, Irfan, Sumit alias Akash, all three residents of Burari, Anuj Mishra alias Sanki, a resident of Bhalaswa Dairy, Kuldeep alias Lungad, a resident of Jahangirpuri, Pradeep alias Sonu, a resident of Baghpat, and Amit alias Bala, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad.

According to a senior police official, preliminary investigations have uncovered crucial details about a planned robbery carried out by a group of miscreants. The incident took place on June 24 when the suspects executed their nefarious scheme.

The CCTV camera footage, obtained by the Delhi Police, revealed that four armed men on two motorcycles intercepted a car, targeting a delivery agent and his associate of Omiya Enterprises from Chandni Chowk. The armed men successfully robbed the victims during the encounter at Pragati Maidan tunnel.

Upon initial examination, it was found that the accused individuals had conducted thorough surveillance on June 22-23  in preparation for the robbery. Their vigilant reconnaissance activities demonstrated that they were well-prepared and determined to carry out the criminal act, the official said.

The suspects strategically chose the tunnel for carrying out the crime, recognising that the chances of success are higher there due to the general expectation that vehicles do not stop inside tunnels and instead maintain a steady speed.

The incident unfolded when the delivery agent, employed by the private firm in Chandni Chowk, and his associate embarked on a journey to deliver a bag containing cash to Gurgaon. They booked a cab from the Red Fort and entered the Pragati Maidan tunnel when the four individuals on two motorcycles intercepted their cab.

One of the armed men brandished a pistol and ordered the victims to exit the vehicle. Threatening them at gunpoint, the perpetrators demanded the bag containing the cash. When the victims attempted to resist, the robbers swiftly seized the bag and fled the scene, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said.

During the subsequent investigation, the police received a tip-off and conducted raids at various locations in Delhi and Haryana. As a result, Usman, Mishra, and Kuldeep were apprehended, he added.

Subsequently, the remaining suspects were also arrested by the police. Usman has been identified as the mastermind behind the conspiracy, providing crucial information to the other individuals involved. He has been employed as a delivery boy for an e-commerce company in the Chandni Chowk area for several years, thereby possessing valuable knowledge regarding the movement of cash in locations such as Kucha Ghasiram and Kucha Mahajani, the official said.

“Usman, while working as a delivery boy, was well aware of people taking money from the Chandani Chowk area,” said the Special CP, adding that Usman roped in Irfan, who works as a barber in Burari area.

After making a plan, they roped in people from Loni and Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. Usman along with Sumit, a vegetable seller, had done recce at Chandani Chowk before committing the crime. Kuldeep, who is found previously involved in 16 cases, had rented accommodation in Burari area to divide the looted amount, the official said.

“We have also recovered two bikes, Apache and Splendor, used in the commission of the crime. The chassis numbers of the bikes are tempered and the number plates are fake. During the initial interrogation of the accused, it was revealed that Anuj and Bala were on an Apache bike while Irfan along with one another was on Splendor. It is suspected that one scooty was also used in the crime which is being investigated,” said the Special CP.

The police have also recovered Rs 5 lakh from the possession of the accused.

On June 24, a delivery agent and his associate travelling in an Ola cab were robbed of cash at gunpoint inside Delhi's Pragati Maidan tunnel by four men on two bikes.

According to police, the delivery agent identified as Patel Sajan Kumar submitted a written complaint regarding the incident  at Tilak Marg police station.

Kumar told the police that he, along with his friend Jigar Patel, was going to Gurgaon to deliver a bag containing cash. They hired an Ola cab from Lal Qila, and while on the way to Gurgaon on the Ring Road, when they entered the tunnel, four people on two motorcycles intercepted their cab and robbed the bag at gunpoint.

The official said that based on Kumar's complaint, police lodged an FIR under relevant sections of the IPC.