Delhi: IPS officer robbed of laptop, ₹95,000 cash in ‘thak-thak’ gang strike

The incident occurred around 9pm on July 2 on the Burari flyover while the officer was travelling in a private car with his driver

A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was allegedly robbed of his laptop and ₹95,000 in cash by members of a “thak-thak” gang on a flyover in north Delhi earlier this month, police said. The officer, who was on his way home from work, was also pushed to the ground during the robbery.

The suspects fled the scene, but in a strange twist, they returned about 10 minutes later, stopped on the opposite carriageway, and placed the officer’s bag on the road divider before fleeing again. (Representational image)

The incident occurred around 9pm on July 2 on the Burari flyover while the officer was travelling in a private car with his driver, investigators aware of the case said.

According to the police, a man on a motorcycle gestured at the officer’s vehicle, pointing to what he claimed was a leak. When the officer rolled down the window, the motorcyclist informed him that oil seemed to be leaking from the car. The vehicle was then stopped on the flyover, and the motorcyclist also pulled over.

“He poured some oil on the car to make it appear that there was a leak,” said a police officer familiar with the case.

As the IPS officer stepped out to inspect the supposed damage, two more men arrived on another motorcycle. One of them opened the car door and grabbed the officer’s bag, which contained the cash and a laptop. When the officer tried to intervene, he was pushed down, suffering minor injuries, police said.

The laptop was recovered intact, but the cash was missing, the investigator cited above said.

Based on the officer’s complaint, s case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including for voluntarily causing hurt during robbery, was registered at Burari police station on July 3.

Multiple teams from across departments are working on the case, but no arrests had been made till Thursday, according to two officers familiar with the investigation.

The second officer cited above said that the IPS officer had gone to a private hospital in Chanakyapuri for treatment and returned home the same night. The next day, a team from the Burari police station visited him to record his statement and formally lodge the complaint.

Another officer said the injured officer went to a private hospital in Chanakyapuri for medical attention and returned home the same night. A team from the Burari police station met him at his residence the next day to record his statement and formally register the case.

“The officer was not in uniform and was not travelling in an official vehicle at the time of the incident,” a senior officer said. “Nonetheless, efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the suspects.”