Police identify suspects in Delhi Golf Links hostage-robbery case

Delhi Police identified six suspects in a robbery where a family was held hostage. One suspect worked as a domestic helper to aid the crime.

New Delhi

Police said the accused were professionals, as they had planted one of their gang members in the victims’ household as a domestic worker. (Representative photo)

The Delhi Police said on Saturday that they have identified all six suspects in the Golf Links robbery case, wherein four members of a family were held hostage and robbed of gold and cash on Thursday at their house located in a high-security zone in Lutyens’ Delhi.

Police said the accused were professionals, as they had planted one of their gang members in the victims’ household as a domestic worker. At least two of them were repeat offenders and the planted worker was able to conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the house and its occupants, two senior police officers said.

“One team was dispatched to Bihar’s Madhubani after verifying that a few of the alleged accused belonged to that district. The team members are conducting raids at the possible hideouts of the suspects in Madhubani. Their family members and other known people are being quizzed. Two more teams are camping in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to collect leads about the suspects and track their movements through analysing CCTV footage and other phone call records,” one of the officers said.

Investigators learnt that the five suspects were making rounds of the house separately and away from each other from around 6.30pm on the day of the incident. After receiving a signal from their accomplice working in the house, the five men assembled outside the main door. After the dacoity, the accused fled through the rear door, which usually remained shut, they said.

A second officer said that the domestic worker, identified as Sushil, was employed on the recommendation of another worker who previously worked in the neighbourhood. The worker who recommended Sushil was, himself, a stand-in for another worker, who was taking a break for personal reasons. “We are looking for both the former helps to ascertain their role in the dacoity,” the second officer said.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said that raids were being conducted at multiple locations and the alleged accused would be caught soon.

Officials said investigators prepared a list of gangs and individuals operating with a similar modus operandi. “Details of such criminals recently released from jail were collected and are being examined. Police teams were conducting forward and reverse trails of the suspects and preparing a route map using CCTV footage,” an investigator said.

According to the officer, the suspects stole only one mobile phone from the house. The phone belonged to a woman member of the family. “They took the phone intentionally because the domestic help used it for making and receiving calls. Also, the phone contained some details about him, including his identification document,” the officer added.

Between 7.30pm and 8pm on Thursday, the domestic worker entered the house with five of his friends, who were wearing masks. They carried sticks and tools to scare the family members. All the accused gained entry and then manhandled the family members. Four members of the family – an elderly couple, their daughter-in-law, and their minor grandchild – were then held hostage in a room and threatened to give all their jewellery. The accused knew where the jewellery was kept. After ransacking the house, the accused fled with gold jewellery worth ₹25-30 lakh. After they fled, the victims freed themselves and informed the police, the officers said.

The victim’s family owns a liquor business and lives near Tughlaq Road. The elderly man is the chairman and managing director of the liquor firm owned by the family, according to officers.