A 25-year-old man, identified as Akash, has been arrested for staging a fake robbery and stealing Rs23.37 lakh from his employer in Lahori Gate, police officials confirmed on Monday.
The incident came to light after a watch shop owner from Lajpat Rai Market lodged a complaint. The owner had sent Akash to collect cash from an office in Fatehpuri, Katra Bariyan, and deliver it to another person. However, several hours later, Akash’s mobile phone was found switched off, and the intended recipient reported he never received the money.
As the police began investigating, they discovered that Akash had made a PCR call claiming he had been rendered unconscious by intoxicated smoke while carrying the cash on September 18. He claimed he regained consciousness near Old Delhi Railway Station, and that the cash bag and phone were missing.
However, DCP (North) Raja Banthia revealed that during the investigation, police scanned over 500 CCTV cameras, tracking Akash walking towards Old Delhi Railway Station with the cash bag. His changing statements and contradictory accounts raised suspicions.
Eventually, Akash confessed to fabricating the entire story. Based on his confession, police recovered Rs23.34 lakh in cash and his mobile phone from his rented room in Khoda Colony, Ghaziabad.
The case highlights how advanced surveillance and investigation techniques helped crack a carefully staged crime meant to deceive both the employer and law enforcement.
