Driver carries out TV show-inspired theft of ₹25 lakh from NGO office, arrested

The cops said they scanned several CCTV footages before zeroing in on the NGO's driver in the theft case.

The Delhi Police on Saturday said they had arrested two men, including a 43-year-old driver of a non-profit organisation (NGO), for allegedly committing a burglary of ₹25 lakh at the office of the NGO in RK Puram Sector-13 in south Delhi last week. The arrested driver, identified as Rajender Kumar, drew inspiration for the crime from a TV crime show and included his associate, Rajesh Kumar,36, in his burglary plan, the police said, and added that ₹23.5 lakh and a cutter machine that was used in the offence were recovered from the arrested men.

Photo for representation (Hindustan Times)

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said that on September 23, the Sarojini Nagar police station received a call regarding a burglary at the office of Odia Samaj Trust NGO in RK Puram Sector-13. A police team reached there and met the NGO’s executive director, JR Das, who alleged that unidentified people broke into the office, cut the almirah placed in the NGO president’s office, and stole ₹25 lakh of ₹67 lakh that was kept inside it. A case of house-trespassing and burglary was registered at the police station and teams were formed to identify and nab the burglars.

Investigators scanned several CCTV cameras and found that two suspects frequently changed disguises using a cap, towel on the neck and wore hand gloves while entering the NGO office and later leaving in an auto-rickshaw. The auto was traced and its driver was questioned. The driver disclosed that he had dropped the suspects at Netaji Nagar in south Delhi. Further route analysis through CCTV cameras exposed the suspicious presence of the NGO’s driver, Rajender Kumar, near Gol Chambari in Netaji Nagar, the DCP said.