Gurugram: Security guard held for theft of ₹50L from liquor shop

Police recovered ₹49.5 lakh from the boot of his car parked in Delhi

A security guard in Gurugram was arrested for allegedly stealing ₹50 lakh in cash from a liquor shop where he was employed, telling police he intended to use the money to set up a fruit orchard in Himachal Pradesh, investigators said on Wednesday.

The PSO allegedly switched off his phone, parked the cash-filled car near Batra Hospital and later returned to Gurugram, where crime branch teams arrested him. (HT Photo)

Police said ₹49.5 lakh of the stolen amount has been recovered from the boot of the accused’s car parked at a parking lot in Delhi, while the accused spent ₹50,000 in the six days he was absconding.

The suspect was identified as Jai Pratap Singh (40), a resident of Belahar village in Mainpuri of Uttar Pradesh. He had been working as a personal security officer (PSO) with Discovery Wine Group for the past 10 years. He was arrested by the Gurugram Police’s crime branch from Sector 56 on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on December 10, when Singh was entrusted by his employer with transporting ₹50 lakh in cash from the liquor shop to Delhi, police said. The cash was kept in his Maruti S-Presso car. Instead of delivering the money, Singh allegedly switched off his mobile phone after reaching Delhi and fled with the cash.

During interrogation, Singh told police that he planned the theft to invest the money in developing a fruit orchard in Himachal Pradesh. To avoid suspicion, he parked his car at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) parking near Batra Hospital and hid the cash in its boot. He then travelled to Haridwar and Rishikesh, where he discarded his mobile phone to prevent tracking, police said.

HT graphic

After spending a few days away, Singh attempted to return to his village to pick up his family but avoided going home due to fear of arrest. He eventually came back to Gurugram, where he was arrested.

Inspector Narender Sharma, in-charge of the crime branch Sector 43, said the operation was conducted after sustained technical surveillance and human intelligence inputs. “The accused deliberately switched off his phone and tried to mislead the investigation by travelling to different places. We recovered ₹49.5 lakh in cash from his car in Delhi. He admitted to spending ₹50,000 on travel and personal expenses,” Sharma said.

A case under Section 316(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Sector 56 police station on December 11. Police said the accused was to be produced before a local court on Wednesday.

The investigation is being conducted by Devender Singh, assistant sub inspector. Police officials said further inquiry is under way to verify whether the suspect acted alone or had any accomplices.