Six held for robbing factory owner’s house in Ghaziabad

Police said that the robbery was planned about a month ago and the gang recced Sareen’s house three times in September in a Honda City car

Ghaziabad police on Wednesday arrested six people for allegedly robbing the house of Raman Sareen, a factory owner, in Nehru Nagar III on October 7. According to cops, the robbery was planned by Sanjeev Chabbra, a family friend of the victim, who roped in a gang of robbers who allegedly fled with cash and jewellery worth about ₹22 lakh.

The suspects in police custody. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Police apprehended Chabbra, owner of a mobile phone business and a resident of D block in Kavi Nagar, and his employee Ashok Kumar, along with Raj Kumar, a history-sheeter from Badalpur police station in Gautam Budh Nagar and his three accomplices — Amit Bhadana, Saugandh Kumar and Mohammad Firoz.

Cops said that the robbery was planned about a month ago and the gang recced Sareen’s house three times in September in a Honda City car. “During interrogation, the robbers said that they were engaged by Chabbra through his employee Ashok Kumar, who is related to Raj Kumar. Raj involved three of his accomplices whom he met earlier in Roorkee jail in February. During the incident, Chabbra and Ashok were not present at the scene of the crime. The four robbers arrived at Sareen’s house on two bikes,” Nipun Agarwal, superintendent of police (city 1), said.

The robbers entered Sareen’s house and took his wife Geeta and daughter Vidhi hostage at gunpoint. They then tied them up and fled with cash and jewellery kept in the house. Police sources said that Amit Bhadana gave his handkerchief to Sareen’s wife Geeta who was injured by the other robbers. He also told police that the other three were trying to harm her and he dissuaded them by saying that he needed ₹10 lakh for his father’s treatment.

Sources said three police teams were tracking the CCTV footage and Raj Kumar got identified from police records. Cops also roped in electronic surveillance methods to trace the suspects. Two of them were arrested during a police crackdown at Lohiya Nagar and Kavi Nagar.

“They told us about Chabbra’s plan who assured them that they will find ₹1-4 crore in Sareen’s house. “Chabbra told us that he was a friend of Sareen’s deceased father who lent him ₹27 lakhs. He repaid the loan and later planned the robbery with his employee. Chabbra knew that the family kept cash and jewellery at home. Two more robbers are on the run and will be arrested soon,” SP Agarwal added.

Police recovered ₹2.45 lakh in cash from the robbers, along with silver and gold jewellery and the two bikes used in the crime.