Four men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery of ₹8 lakh that took place in the South Rohini area last week, officials said on Saturday.
According to the police, the accused—Bharat (22) and Hitesh (22), both residents of Mangolpuri, and Gautam (22) and Ashwani (22), residents of Rohini—were arrested.
The police recovered ₹6.22 lakh in cash, the bag used to carry the money, and the knife allegedly used in the crime.
“The incident was reported on September 28, when Adarsh Shrivastav, an employee of businessman Adib Alam, informed the police that around 12:45 pm, he was passing near Jaipur Golden Hospital in Rohini’s Sector 3 with approximately ₹8 lakh in cash, which he had collected from Pankaj, an employee of another company called Pearl,” said Pankaj Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch).
As Shrivastav approached the hospital, he was confronted by four men who threatened him with a knife and robbed him of the entire amount before fleeing on foot.
Following his complaint, a case was registered at South Rohini police station, and an investigation was immediately launched.
Officials said the arrests were made after the police examined more than 100 CCTV clips to trace the suspects’ movements.
Acting on tip-offs, a police team set up a trap near Gate No. 3 of Japanese Park in Rohini, leading to the arrest of Bharat and Hitesh on September 30.
Based on their interrogation, the remaining two accused, Ashwani and Gautam, were apprehended near Mukarba Chowk on Friday, and the stolen cash was recovered from their possession.
“On September 27, Ashwani, the mastermind behind the daylight armed robbery, devised a plan to target the victim near Jaipur Golden Hospital. He roped in his associates—Gautam, Hitesh, Bharat, and another individual—and they agreed to split and regroup at the DDA park near Mangolpur Kalan village after the crime,” the officer said.
As planned, the accused met at the park after the robbery. From there, Ashwani and Gautam attempted to flee to Uttarakhand but were arrested before they could escape.
The DCP further said the accused are habitual alcohol and drug users who resorted to crime due to unemployment and financial difficulties.
Ashwani, who procured the weapon, worked as a housekeeping supervisor for a private company, while Gautam and the others are unemployed. Police added that the group had gradually fallen into bad company.
Further investigation is underway to trace other associates and to determine whether the gang was involved in similar robberies in the past.
Police said the case was registered at South Rohini police station on September 28 under Sections 309(4) (robbery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).