CCTV camera footage and Delhi Police’s network of undercover sleuths played a key role in the arrest of Pradeep Shukla, the man behind the biggest heist (Rs22.5 crore) that unfolded in national Capital on Thursday.
Police swung into action as soon as it was informed about the heist that occured in Delhi’s Govindpuri area. Police carried out an intensive search for Shukla across the Okhla Industrial area apart from the whole city by deploying pickets almost in every part, informing its sleuths and focusing on every CCTV camera footage that were active at the spot.
“We worked after focusing on two different angles: if the incident was pre-planned and was a part of larger conspiracy; if it was just an ‘adventure’ and the driver flee with the van full of cash,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (South Eastern Range) RS Krishniya.
Following both the angles of suspicion, police tightened the security in the border areas and circulated Shukla’s picture to every police department and increased security at railway stations, airport and bus stands.
“As Rs22.5 crore is not a small amount and not easy to be transferred without help from number of people, we focused on Shukla’s movement in the area also, as he already had abandoned the van, he had to take another vehicle to transfer the cash,” explained Krishniya while adding that every route in Okhla Industrial area was intensively checked.
The joint CP added, “Additionally the CCTV camera footage obtained from the area were of great help as we became quite sure that the accused is present in the area itself.”
“His active moments in the area were shown in the grabs we collected and following that we intensified our search in Okhla Industrial phase-III. We searched the entire area and in sometime landed on to the godown where the accused Patel was hidden and rest is history..,” said Krishniya.