MPhil in chemistry, man, 32, held for robberies in 2021; made smoke bombs for bank heist

A former MPhil student, Deep Shubham, was arrested for his role in 2021 jewellery robberies in Delhi, after a history of financial struggle and previous crimes.

A 32-year-old man, with an MPhil in Chemistry from Delhi University who once hailed as a bright student, has been arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch from Sohna in Haryana for his alleged role in two armed jewellery shop robberies in north Delhi’s Model Town in 2021.

32-yr-old man with MPhil held for 2 robberies in 2021

Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Harsh Indora identified the accused as Deep Shubham, a native of Sitamarhi in Bihar. Last year, Rohini courts declared Shubham a proclaimed offender for absconding during the trial of a robbery case for registered in Model Town police station. He was previously convicted in a 2017 bank robbery in Bihar, where he used his knowledge of chemistry to prepare a smoke bomb that helped him carry out the heist.

According to police, Shubham was arrested following a tip-off received by a head constable in Delhi. The crime branch then laid a trap and nabbed him from Hari Nagar in Sohna on Wednesday.

Investigators said Shubham had studied at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, where he completed his BSc (Honours), MSc, and MPhil in Chemistry. He later cleared CLAT and enrolled in the LLB programme at Damodaram Sanjeevaya National Law University in Visakhapatnam but dropped out after a year. He also pursued an MA in English from Delhi University and briefly worked at a call centre in Delhi.

Despite his academic achievements, police said Shubham struggled financially. His parents had moved from Bihar to Burari, Delhi, in the early 1990s, where his father worked as an e-rickshaw dealer. His brother is an engineer, but Shubham was largely raised by his grandmother in their native village. “He was intelligent and ambitious, but over the years, his family distanced themselves from him due to his unstable lifestyle and mounting debts,” said an officer.

In 2017, facing financial distress, he carried out a solo bank robbery at a Bank of India branch in Pupri, Sitamarhi. “Using his chemistry background, he mixed methyl acetate and benzene with firecracker material to make a smoke bomb, brandished a firearm, and escaped with ₹3.6 lakh in cash. He was later arrested by Bihar Police from Burari and convicted in the case,” Indora said.

While serving his sentence in Sitamarhi jail, Shubham befriended fellow inmate Ritesh Thakur. After his release, the duo reunited in Delhi and carried out two armed robberies at a jewellery store in Gujranwala Town in 2021. In the first incident, they looted over ₹6 lakh and mobile phones, and in the second, ₹70,000 in cash, police said.

Both cases were registered at Model Town police station and Shubham was arrested. He was later released on bail but went underground, frequently changing his address to evade arrest.

“Despite having the education and opportunity to build a legitimate career, he chose a criminal path,” said Indora. “He was recently working as an interior designer in Sohna to conceal his identity. His arrest followed weeks of surveillance and technical analysis.”

Police are now verifying his possible involvement in other robberies across Delhi and neighbouring states.