In a bizarre incident, unidentified robbers allegedly entered a jewellery store through a tunnel they had dug and decamped with jewellery and cash worth Rs 11 lakh.
The incident took place in the wee hours of Wednesday in the Neb Sarai area of south Delhi.
According to the police, the assailants first entered a manhole and then dug a tunnel from there to the shop.
The incident was reported around 8am, when the owner, Suraj Prakash, along with his son, Rishi Prakash, went to open the shop.
“When Rishi Prakash opened the safe of their jewellery store, Rastogi Jewellers, in Krishna Park in Devli village of Khanpur, he found a tunnel inside the store and all the cash and jewellery missing,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The police said that the criminals allegedly entered the premises through a two-metre-long tunnel they had ploughed out from the manhole just outside the shop.
“When my son opened the shutter of the store, he saw mud all around. The cash counter was empty and jewellery missing. He called me around 8 am. I rushed to the shop and we then informed the police,” said Suraj Prakash, 55.
{{/usCountry}}“When my son opened the shutter of the store, he saw mud all around. The cash counter was empty and jewellery missing. He called me around 8 am. I rushed to the shop and we then informed the police,” said Suraj Prakash, 55.
{{/usCountry}}The police said that the robbers meticulously planned the heist, as it was Dhanteras on Wednesday and the shop was stocked with jewellery, to cater to huge customer demand.
“From the sequence of events, it appears that the robbers would have kept an eye on the store. We have rounded up several people and are investigating the matter,” added the officer.
Later in the day, the tunnel was closed and all the manholes were covered.