New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Delhi Police have busted a “self-staged” robbery involving Rs 37.5 lakh within 24 hours of the incident, arresting three accused, including two employees of the victim company, and recovering nearly the entire stolen amount, officials said on Saturday.

According to a press release issued by the North District Police, the case involved a conspiracy allegedly hatched by two employees of an advertising and newspaper publishing company in connivance with their associates to stage the robbery while transporting cash collected from clients.

The police said the operation led to the arrest of three accused – Abhishek (26), Yogesh (26) and Vipin (29) – while efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused.

In the press release, Delhi Police said: “Self-staged robbery of Rs 37.5 lacs by two employees of the victim’s company busted by the joint teams of Police Station Wazirabad and Special Staff/North within 24 hours.”

It added that “almost the entire robbed money was recovered”, with police recovering Rs 36.92 lakh, along with four mobile phones and the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.

According to police, a PCR call was received on July 9 reporting that three motorcycle-borne men had robbed a bag containing Rs 37.5 lakh near Burari Flyover on Outer Ring Road.

Complainant Mohan Dass told police that he and colleagues Abhishek and Yogesh had collected Rs 45.5 lakh from Chandni Chowk for delivery to their employer’s residence in Saraswati Vihar. While Mohan Dass and Abhishek were carrying Rs 37.5 lakh on one motorcycle, Yogesh was transporting Rs 8 lakh on another.

Police said the complainants claimed that three unidentified men intercepted their motorcycle, snatched the cash bag and fled. According to their version, one of the robbers was caught with the help of members of the public but later escaped after allegedly biting Yogesh while being taken towards their office.

However, investigators grew suspicious during the probe.

A joint team of Wazirabad Police Station and the North District Special Staff analysed CCTV footage, examined call detail records and questioned the company employees. During the investigation, officers found inconsistencies in the statements of Abhishek and Yogesh.

Police said the mobile phone that the employees had claimed was taken away by the escaping accused was actually recovered from the storage compartment of their motorcycle. Investigators also found that the alleged bite mark on Yogesh’s shoulder “did not appear to be genuine,” exposing what police described as a fabricated story.

During sustained interrogation, Abhishek and Yogesh allegedly confessed to staging the robbery and revealed that they had conspired with Vipin, a close associate who previously operated a cafe in Rohini.

Police said technical analysis confirmed Vipin’s presence in Chandni Chowk when the cash was collected.

Investigators then laid a trap by making Vipin believe that his associates had escaped police suspicion and were demanding their share of the money. Believing the ruse, Vipin disclosed his location in Jahangir Puri, where he was arrested on July 10 while allegedly attempting to flee.

A search of his residence led to the recovery of Rs 36.92 lakh in cash.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they had planned the robbery after Abhishek and Yogesh, who routinely transported large sums of cash for their employer, discussed the opportunity with Vipin. The trio allegedly recruited three more associates to execute the robbery after identifying the cash collection route from Chandni Chowk.

Police said that after one of the alleged robbers was caught by the public, Abhishek and Yogesh deliberately allowed him to escape instead of handing him over to the police and later fabricated the story that he had bitten Yogesh before fleeing.

Further investigation is underway to identify and arrest the remaining accused involved in the conspiracy, Delhi Police said.

–IANS

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