This Article is From Oct 01, 2023

Accused In Rs 25 Crore Heist Conducted Recce, Stayed At Guest House: Cops

The burglary was well-planned and the accused carried food and water with him inside the showroom, said a police official who did not wish to be named.

Accused In Rs 25 Crore Heist Conducted Recce, Stayed At Guest House: Cops

Probe into the burglary case has revealed that only one person was involved, police said

New Delhi:

The Delhi Police on Saturday said that Lokesh Srivas, the main accused in the Bhogal jewellery shop burglary, came to the national capital a couple of times before the heist to conduct a recce of the store and stayed at a guest house in the Chandni Chowk area.

He also purchased some of the tools needed for the burglary, which was discovered on Tuesday, from Old Delhi, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said Srivas bought a disc cutter machine from GB Road for Rs 1,300 and a hammer from Chandni Chowk for Rs 100, while he brought a screwdriver and pliers from home.

Lokesh's Delhi visit details were confirmed through his call details records.

On September 9, Lokesh Srivas came to Jangpura around 11 am. He stayed in Chandni Chowk from September 10 to 12. On September 12, he took a train for Mathura-Vrindavan and came back to Delhi on September 15, Mr Deo said.

He stayed in Delhi till September 17, when he left for Madhya Pradesh via a bus from Kashmere Gate. On September 21, he reached Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi at 7:33 pm and came to Jangpura at 9:18 pm. 

Around 9 pm on September 25, he took a bus from Kashmere Gate to Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, the DCP said.

The burglary was well-planned and the accused carried food and water with him inside the showroom, said a police official who did not wish to be named.

Srivas was earlier allegedly involved in seven thefts in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, according to the state police.

The Delhi Police had on Friday said the investigation so far into the burglary case has revealed that only one person was involved in the incident.

The accused broke into the shop, made a hole in the strongroom, and decamped with ornaments worth more than Rs 20 crore as well as Rs 5 lakh in cash.

The jewellery shop had several CCTV cameras but they were damaged around Sunday midnight, according to police.

The shop owner had closed the showroom around 8 pm on Sunday and when he opened it on Tuesday morning, he got to know about the incident. The shop remains closed on Monday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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