3 held for stealing ACs, TVs worth ₹40L from vacant flats in Gurugram’s Sec 88

Accused made four trips in pickup over five hours to shift goods from empty society in Sector 88. Items seized; police hunting guards who aided burglary.

Three men have been arrested for allegedly stealing expensive electronics worth ₹40 lakh from multiplehouses in an under-construction society in Sector 88 last week, police said Tuesday. The houses are currently not occupied and the builder was getting new electronics installed in the apartments at the time of the burglary.

37 ACs, 13 TVs, fridges and microwaves seized from scrapyard. Suspects entered with help of guards; arrested same day case surfaced, sent to custody. (File photo)

According to police, the arrested accused are Sane Alam of Mahewa in Madhya Pradesh, Mohammad Sharique from Mandanpur in Uttar Pradesh –- both 19-year-old and working as scrap dealers –- and 22-year-old Tara Chand from Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun and a pickup van driver.

Two more suspects –- security guards of the society –- were also involved in hatching the plan and are currently on the run. The three men entered the society with the help of the guards.

Investigators said the incident took place on the night of February 5 and came to light on Saturday when a contractor reached the site to check the ongoing works and found all the new electronic items missing. Police were informed and the three were arrested the same day.

They were taken on one-day police remand for interrogation and were sent to judicial custody on Monday.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said that 37 air conditioning units, three refrigerators, two microwave ovens and 13 LED TVs, overall worth more than ₹40 lakh, which were stolen from the under-construction apartments of the society were recovered from Sharique’s scrapyard in Manesar.

“The gang had planned to sell all the costly and new electronic items at a cheap rate in the market in neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan,” Turan said.

A police official said that the suspects took at least four trips to transport the stolen items to the scrapyard from the spot in over five hours.

“Once, all the items were stolen, the three fled from the spot while the guards didn’t return the next day after completing their night duty,” he said.

Efforts are underway to nab the security guards, police said.