Bodybuilder held with friend for robbing ₹4.69 lakh from businessman

A 27-year-old national-level bodybuilder, who won Mr Delhi title thrice between 2010 and 2017, has been arrested along with his associate, who is also a bodybuilder,

A 27-year-old national-level bodybuilder, who won Mr Delhi title thrice between 2010 and 2017, has been arrested along with his associate, who is also a bodybuilder, for allegedly robbing ₹4.69 lakh on gunpoint from a businessman in southwest Delhi’s Uttam Nagar on Monday, the police said.

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Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said that the arrested men were aspiring to participate in international bodybuilding championships. However, they lacked funds. As their parents had refused to help them financially, the duo had planned to rob businessmen for funds required for fulfilling their dreams.

“The two had planned to rob a few more businessmen in the coming days as they managed to rob only ₹4.69 lakh from their first target on Monday. However, we caught them before they could execute their plans,” said the DCP.

The arrested men were identified as Rahul Chaudhary and his associate, Vipin Gupta,21. A graduate from Delhi University, Chaudhary is a national-level bodybuilder. He had been presiding over various bodybuilding competitions as a judge. Chaudhary owns a gym in Uttam Nagar. Gupta was Chaudhary’s customer and he frequented his gym, the police said.

DCP Alphonse said that the two were arrested flowing investigation into a robbery case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint by Deepak Bansal, a businessman running a departmental store and a dairy. Bansal told the police that two men on a scooter robbed ₹4.69 lakh from him on gunpoint, while he was on his way to a local bank to deposit the money on Monday afternoon.

“We activated our informers and soon identified the two suspects. The duo was caught on Tuesday from Uttam Nagar while they were riding the same scooter they used in the robbery. One pistol with four cartridges, a toy pistol and ₹3.65 lakh of the robbed money were recovered from them,” Alphonse added.

During the interrogation, the police said, Chaudhary confessed that the earnings from his gym were not sufficient enough to fund his dreams of participating in international bodybuilding championships. Chaudhary decided to arrange the money by “any means”. He roped in Gupta as he had similar dreams. The duo procured a real pistol, along with a toy one. They carried out a reconnaissance of areas in Uttam Nagar to identify their potential targets, the police said.

“The two noted that shopkeepers mostly deposit cash collection of Saturdays and Sundays on the following day and many of them visit banks unguarded. They waylaid Bansal and robbed him. They spent almost ₹1 lakh on partying with friends the same evening,” an investigator said.