The Delhi Police on Monday apprehended two men, who were allegedly involved in robbing a delivery agent and his associate of Rs 2 lakh at gunpoint inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel, officials said.
This development has come to light two days after the incident on Saturday. In a statement issued late evening, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Delhi Police Suman Nalwa said that two people were held, the rest of the suspects have been identified and raids are on to arrest them.
Police said footage obtained from over 350 CCTV cameras was scanned in the last 48 hours to identify the four bike-borne men who allegedly robbed the delivery agent and his associate. He said that the employees of the delivery agent’s company, his employer and associates have also been questioned.
Police said a delivery agent of Omiya Enterprises, Chandni Chowk, and his associate were robbed of Rs 2 lakh while they were going to Gurugram in a taxi to deliver the money. “We have scanned footage from over 350 CCTV cameras installed along the route leading to the Pragati Maidan tunnel and further to ascertain the route taken by the attackers after committing the robbery.
A senior police officer said, “Though the CCTV cameras have clearly captured the incident, we could not see the faces of the bike-borne robbers as they were wearing helmets.” Police suspect the involvement of more than four people in the heist and said they have got clues about the modus operandi of the accused.
“We suspect that six people were involved in the robbery. Though the involvement of four accused has been established through CCTV footage, the investigation so far has revealed that the robbery was carried out on the instructions of someone else, who There could be an insider and he knew that the victim was carrying a huge amount of cash on that particular day,” he said.
A 22-second video of the incident obtained by the police shows four men on two motorcycles following the taxi and intercepting it inside the tunnel as other vehicles passed. As soon as the taxi stopped, the two men on the back seat got down from the motorcycle. One of them headed for the driver’s seat, while the other headed for the rear door of the car, both apparently with their pistols out. All four were wearing helmets.
The footage showed the car gate open and a black handbag apparently containing money being handed to the man at the back door. The two men then quickly got on the waiting motorcycles and fled along with their accomplices.
Officials said the incident was captured in one of the CCTV cameras installed inside the 1.5 km-long tunnel that connects New Delhi to Sarai Kale Khan and Noida. A case has been registered under sections 397 (dacoity, attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, police said.