Delhi Businessman, Family Held Hostage By House Help, Rs 25 Lakh Jewellery Looted

A domestic help and his associates allegedly held a liquor businessman's family hostage at their residence in the upscale Golf Links area here and fled with jewellery worth around Rs 25 lakh, police sources said on Friday.

The businessman has been identified as Ashok Chawla, owner of a liquor company.

According to police, the incident took place on Thursday evening around 6 pm when the elderly Chawla couple, their daughter-in-law and a child were present at the house.

Around six persons allegedly barged into the house and confined the family members, forcing them to hand over valuables. The victims were threatened and allegedly held hostage while the accused searched the house, the source said.

No one was physically harmed during the incident, and the family members were later freed after the accused fled the scene, he said.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the crime was facilitated by the domestic help, identified as Sushil -- suspected to be the main conspirator who allegedly enabled the entry of the other accused into the house.

Police suspect that the accused had prior knowledge on the layout of the house and the presence of valuables, indicating possible recce conducted before executing the robbery.

CCTV footage from the area shows multiple people approaching the residence. Some of them were seen standing near the house, apparently waiting for vehicular movement to clear before entering the premises, the source said.

The footage shows around six people entering the house in a coordinated manner, suggesting that the robbery was pre-planned and executed with precision.

Investigators said the accused appeared to have timed their entry carefully to avoid raising suspicion in the otherwise busy residential locality.

Police said a case has been registered under relevant sections and multiple teams have been formed to apprehend the accused.

Teams are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the suspects and reconstruct their movement before and after the crime. Investigators are also examining the entry and exit routes used by the accused to determine how they fled the spot.

Police sources said the police are probing the background of the domestic help, including where he was hired from and whether he is linked to any active criminal gang operating in Delhi or neighbouring states.

Raids are being conducted in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, to track down the suspects, police said.

Police have also activated their network of informers, and still images of the accused captured in CCTV footage are being circulated among counterparts in different units and neighbouring states to aid identification.

Efforts are also underway to analyse call detail records and other technical evidence to establish the identities and movements of the accused persons, police added. 

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