Man places grocery orders in others’ names, flee with items and change money

A 24-year-old man, who was into snatching and robbery until two years ago, was arrested Friday after he started a new con -- placing grocery orders in the name

A 24-year-old man, who was into snatching and robbery until two years ago, was arrested Friday after he started a new con -- placing grocery orders in the name of some resident and then making off with groceries and change money, police said.

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Posing as a resident of different south Delhi neighbourhoods, the arrested accused Vikash Kumar would allegedly place orders over phone at local grocery stores, and collect the items from the delivery agent, after claiming to be entrusted by the resident to do so, and then decamp with the items as well as the change money for large denominations.

Kumar kept up this con for two years until Friday, when one of the residents complained to the police, said RP Meena, deputy commissioner of police (south-east).

“It so happened that a grocery store owner received a call on Tuesday from Kumar who posed as a resident of Lajpat Nagar’s D Block. “He ordered ghee and a face wash and asked the store owner to send the delivery agent with ₹1,700 as change for a ₹2,000 note,” said the DCP.

When the delivery agent arrived outside the house, Kumar stepped forward and said he was the house owner’s driver and had been asked to collect the items.

“Kumar collected the two items worth ₹300 and also the ₹1,700 change from the delivery agent and left saying he would return with the ₹2,000 note, but he never did,” Meena said.

When the shopkeeper got to know that no such order was placed by the owner of that house, he informed the police control room.

The DCP said it was a rare occasion when any of Kumar’s victims had sought police help. “Kumar would place orders for products worth less than ₹1,000. He got away with it as hardly anyone would approach the police for that small a loss,” Meena said.

But this time, the police registered a cheating case and began checking CCTV footage and call detail records. That led them to Kumar’s home in Dakshinpuri, from where he was arrested.

The DCP said Kumar was into robbery and snatching until two years ago. He had eight such police cases against him. “We are ascertaining if his other victims had filed police cases in the past,” Meena said.