Delhi Police Nab Eight for ₹75 Lakh Heist at Ashok Vihar Residence
Police have apprehended six men and two juveniles following an interstate crackdown in connection with a daylight robbery of approximately ₹75 lakh at a residence in Delhi's Ashok Vihar on August 19. Investigators recovered ₹51.52 lakh in cash along with three mobile phones worth around ₹2.33 lakh.
The incident took place at around 11:35 am when 54-year-old Neera Verma was alone at home after her husband, Manoj Kumar, and twin daughters left for work. Verma heard the elevator arrive on her floor and opened the door to find two men near the staircase asking for drinking water.
When Verma grew suspicious and attempted to close the iron gate, the intruders forced their way inside. They dragged her in, held her at knifepoint, tied her legs with her chunni, and were joined by two more accomplices. The accused then used brown packing tape to gag Verma and bind her hands and feet.
While one intruder stood guard over Verma, the other suspects searched the home for 20 to 25 minutes. They packed cash, valuables, handbags, clutches, and personal documents into bags before fleeing the premises.
According to police, the heist was orchestrated by one of the apprehended juveniles, a former employee of the victim's husband who was fired for financial misconduct and held a grudge. The juvenile had previously been involved in a 2023 murder case registered at the Ashok Vihar police station. Investigators revealed that the accused had conducted reconnaissance of the house and the family's daily routine for about a month, with some conspirators staying at a hotel in Sawan Park. The group had initially planned to gain entry by posing as delivery agents.
Following the robbery, the suspects fled to different locations, including Amritsar, Ghaziabad, and parts of Delhi. Police launched an interstate operation across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi to track them down.
The adult suspects were identified as Naman Sharma (24) and Ansh Sharma (22), both residents of Ashok Vihar; Deepak alias Dev (24) of Ghaziabad; and Dinesh alias Ballu (38), Sahil (31), and Aryan alias Shera (22), all from Amritsar. Further investigation is underway.
