5 held for Rs 1 cr burglary in Madhu Vihar area; jewellery, cash recovered

Delhi Police has cracked a burglary case involving theft of valuables worth around Rs 1 crore in east Delhi’s Madhu Vihar area, arresting five people, including a goldsmith who allegedly received the stolen property, an official said on Saturday.

The case pertains to a burglary reported at Arya Nagar Apartment in the Madhu Vihar area earlier this month, he said.

A complaint was received on April 1, in which the victim said that the house had been locked on the evening of March 31, but upon returning the next day, “the locks were found broken and gold, diamond and silver jewellery, along with cash, were missing”, a senior police officer said.

The total value of stolen items was estimated at around Rs 1 crore, including nearly Rs 12 lakh in cash, the officer said, adding that the police registered an FIR and an investigation was taken up.

“The team mapped the movement of the accused over a stretch of nearly 10 km, which proved crucial in identifying them.

Police conducted a raid on April 8 and arrested two accused, identified as Babloo alias Kalua and Rampal alias Ramkumar,” the officer said.

During interrogation, they revealed the involvement of their associate Vishal alias Vikku, who was subsequently apprehended on April 10, the officer added.

Further questioning led to the identification of Pinky, an associate, and Ravi Soni, a goldsmith who allegedly received the stolen jewellery. Both were later arrested, police said.

The police recovered a substantial portion of the stolen item, including around 70 per cent of gold and diamond jewellery, 80 per cent of silver articles, and `8 lakh in cash. Tools used in the crime were also seized, the officer said.

During the investigation, it was found that the accused conducted a recce of residential colonies during the daytime to identify locked houses and carried out burglaries at night. Police said the accused are habitual offenders and were involved in several previous criminal cases. Further investigation is underway.