Unable to pay up EMIs, man fakes ₹9 lakh robbery; arrested

The man allegedly staged the robbery since he enjoyed a flamboyant lifestyle and was now unable to pay the EMIs of his car, bike and iPhones

Greater Noida: A cash collection agent who pretended to have been robbed of ₹9 lakh cash two days ago in Greater Noida, was arrested on Sunday evening after it was found that he had actually faked it, cheating his employer by hatching the plan in collusion with three accomplices, officers said on Monday.

Police have arrested three of the four suspects identified as Santosh Kumar, the mastermind cash agent, and his aides -- Santosh’s nephew Chandan (23), and friend Nitesh Sharma (26) -- all residents of Kirti Nagar, Delhi, the fourth one Akash is absconding. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The man allegedly staged the robbery since he enjoyed a flamboyant lifestyle and was now unable to pay the EMIs (easy monthly installments) of his car, bike and iPhones, that were way above his ₹25,000 salary, they informed.

Police have arrested three of the total four suspects identified as Santosh Kumar, the mastermind cash agent, and his aides -- Santosh’s nephew Chandan (23), and friend Nitesh Sharma (26) -- all residents of Kirti Nagar, Delhi. The fourth one Akash,28, is currently absconding, officers said.

On Friday, a Greater Noida-based businessman Mudit (goes by first name), owner of plywood firm Shri Krishna Laminates, located in Site-4 Greater Noida, reported to Beta-2 police station that a cash agent, who collected ₹9 lakh from him, was robbed by two bike-borne men a few metres away from their company.

“An FIR was later registered against two unidentified men under section 392 (robbery) of the IPC,” the officer said.

Santosh is an employee of Tekchand & Sons, wholesalers of plywood in Mongolpuri, Delhi. They provided plywood to the showroom in Greater Noida, and that’s why they had sent Santosh to collect cash, the ADCP said.

A police inquiry of Santosh and eyewitness accounts revealed that the two bike-borne men had also fired in the air to threaten the cash agent while ‘robbing’ him.

However, after interrogation of suspects, and scanning of over 200 CCTV footages, police arrested Santosh Kumar, Chandan, and Nitesh on Sunday, said SM Khan, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

“About 15 days ago, he, along with his relative and friends planned to fake a robbery. It was decided that the day Santosh is hired for a huge cash collection, they will execute the plan, and will equally divide the stolen money,” said DCP Khan.

“While ₹1.5 lakh was recovered from the three suspects’ possession. After arrest, when police took them to find the rest ₹7.5 lakh cash-filled bag and the gun, Chandan took out the weapon from the bushes and fired at police party. He was shot in the leg and arrested,” said the DCP.

The fourth suspect Akash, who drove the two-wheeler at the time of the ‘robbery’, is absconding.

“The suspects have been booked under charges of robbery (392), dishonestly receiving stolen property (411) and criminal conspiracy (120B) of the Indian Penal Code. They were produced before a magistrate and sent to judicial custody on Monday,” said the ADCP.