Raipur police arrested 10 suspects, including the alleged mastermind Neha Tripathi and her husband Rahul, within 36 hours of a daring Rs 65 lakh robbery in broad daylight. The gang, dressed in Army combat fatigues, entered a house in Anupam Nagar and looted the proceeds of a recent land sale.
Neha Tripathi, a trained nurse who was unemployed along with her husband, reportedly planned the heist as a quick way to get rich. To create confusion and fear, the robbers disguised themselves as Maoist insurgents, shouting “Lal Salam” while entering the home of elderly siblings Prema, Manohar, and Rajni Vellu.
The robbers threatened the family at gunpoint, tied them up, and stole gold, jewellery, and cash totaling nearly Rs 65 lakh. CCTV footage captured the gang’s arrival in a Ritz car without number plates.
A massive police operation ensued, involving 10 special Crime Branch teams and a 60-member task force. The suspects were tracked to hideouts in Durg and Rajnandgaon, where they were caught trying to divide the loot.
Apart from Neha and Rahul Tripathi, the arrested include Shahid Pathan from Nagpur, Ajay Thakur, Purushottam Devangan, Som Shekhar, Devalal Verma, Kamlesh Verma, Pintoo Sarwan, and Manuraj Maurya from various parts of Chhattisgarh.
Investigations revealed Neha had brought in Shahid Pathan from Nagpur to help carry out the robbery despite surveillance cameras in the area. The police have recovered Rs 59.5 lakh of the stolen cash and continue probing the case.
