Delhi Police have cracked a brutal robbery-murder case where a man was fatally stabbed after his own cousin allegedly tipped off assailants about his cash collection route, leading to multiple arrests and recovery of stolen money.
Key Points
- Prabhat was fatally stabbed during an armed robbery in north Delhi while returning with cash from Gandhi Nagar Market.
- His cousin, Om Singh, allegedly tipped off the assailants about Prabhat's cash movements, leading to the robbery-murder.
- Delhi Police used extensive CCTV and ANPR camera analysis to identify vehicles and trace the accused across multiple states.
- Four individuals, including the cousin and a juvenile, have been apprehended, and Rs 2.29 lakh of stolen cash recovered.
- Three other accused involved in the conspiracy and execution of the robbery remain absconding, with police conducting raids.
A man who was returning after collecting payments in north Delhi was allegedly intercepted and stabbed to death during an armed robbery after his cousin apparently tipped off the assailants about the cash movement, Delhi Police said on Tuesday.
The victim's cousin, two other accused and a juvenile have been apprehended in connection with the robbery-murder, while three others are absconding, they said.
The deceased, Prabhat, was returning with his nephew Sachin after collecting money from shops in Gandhi Nagar Market on September 24 when four armed men allegedly intercepted their e-rickshaw near the Neeli Chhatri Mandir underpass around 7.20 pm.
"The assailants attempted to snatch the polythene bag containing cash. When Prabhat resisted, they attacked him, Sachin and another passenger with knives before fleeing with the cash," a senior police officer said, adding that Prabhat sustained critical stab injuries and was declared dead when taken to a hospital.
The officer said a case was registered in this connection at Kashmere Gate police station on September 25.
Unravelling The Crime
According to police, more than 500 CCTV cameras were analysed, including around 150 cameras installed in and around the underpass and adjoining routes, along with footage from ANPR (Automatic Number-Plate Recognition) cameras.
"Teams noticed a car making a sharp U-turn at high speed near the underpass and moving towards Salimgarh Fort. The vehicle had been captured from a considerable distance and poor visibility initially made identification difficult," the officer said.
Further analysis of CCTV and ANPR camera footage, besides technical surveillance, helped police identify the registration number on the car.
"However, verification revealed that the vehicle bearing that number was owned by one Bhagat Singh of Noida, and was different from the vehicle captured in the CCTV footage, establishing that the accused had possibly used a fake number plate.
"Teams then traced the movements of another vehicle bearing a Uttar Pradesh registration number. CCTV footage showed it approaching the underpass from the direction of the Yamuna through Loha Pul around two hours before the robbery, with five to six persons inside," she added.
Tracing The Accused
Further CCTV analysis led investigators to identify the vehicle and its registered owner, Deepu Rathore, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi. Analysis of Deepu's call records led police to a mobile number that was in contact with both Deepu and the deceased.
"The mobile number was traced to Om Singh of Kanpur -- Prabhat's first cousin. Teams were subsequently sent to Kanpur, Jhansi and Etawah. Om was apprehended from Kanpur, while Deepu and a 16-year-old were apprehended from Jhansi. Another accused, Abhishek, was arrested from Etawah, where he had allegedly been hiding," the police officer said.
Police said Rs 2.29 lakh of the stolen cash was recovered from the accused. Of this, Rs 1.10 lakh was recovered from Abhishek, Rs 19,800 from Deepu and Rs 1 lakh from the juvenile.
The Conspiracy And Aftermath
During interrogation, Om disclosed that Prabhat was the son of his paternal aunt, and he had shared information about his cash movements with Deepu and one Raj -- who is absconding.
Police said Deepu subsequently brought two persons from his village in Jhansi -- Rohit Yadav and the juvenile -- while Raj and Om contacted Anirudh Chauhan and Abhishek.
According to police, the accused allegedly hatched the plot in Noida and then travelled towards the Neeli Chhatri Mandir underpass in Deepu's car. Abhishek reached the spot separately on a motorcycle.
After the robbery and murder, the accused returned to Noida, where the stolen cash was distributed among them. They then dispersed to their respective locations in an attempt to evade detection.
Criminal Backgrounds And Ongoing Hunt
Deepu (28) has been involved in cases related to rape, attempt to murder, extortion and rioting, besides Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Goonda Act and Gangsters Act cases in Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The juvenile (16), has previously been involved in cases under rape, POCSO and the SC/ST Act charges in Jhansi.
Raj, Anirudh Chauhan and Rohit Yadav -- allegedly involved in the conspiracy and execution of the robbery -- remain absconding. Teams are conducting raids to trace them, the officer said.
