A hammer from Chandni Chowk for Rs 100 and an assorted toolbox for screwdrivers and pliers - these were the hardware used in the sensational robbery at a jewellery store in south Delhi's Jangpura that saw a thief pillage ornaments worth Rs 25 crore last week.
A lone man, Lokesh Srivas, from Chhattisgarh, orchestrated and pulled off the robbery - the biggest jewellery heist in Delhi's recent history.
According to the police, to pull off the heist, Lokesh carried out two recce missions in Delhi - the first on September 9 and another on September 17. The tools he used were procured from various localities of Delhi. A hammer was bought for Rs 100 from Chandni Chowk and a disc cutter worth Rs 1,300 from GB Road. Screwdrivers and pliers were brought from his home.
At 11 pm on Sunday, he broke into Umrao Jewellers in the Bhogal area from an adjacent building. He stayed there all night, stealing the jewellery on display and making his way to the strongroom. Disconnecting CCTV cameras and breaching the strongroom were crucial steps in the meticulously planned heist.
According to the police, the thief entered the four-storey building from the terrace and reached the ground floor, where the strongroom was located. He used a drill to bore a hole into the strongroom wall, giving him access to the ornaments inside. He also stole the jewellery on display in the showroom.
Lokesh was arrested on Friday morning and is currently in the custody of the Bilaspur Police. Lokesh would have hoped to pull off a DB Cooper-esque vanishing act if not for another burglar in Chhattisgarh who confided to the police that a man had returned to Bilaspur after committing a major robbery in the national capital.
Lokesh had stayed at the Rajdhani Guest House in Chandni Chowk from September 21 to 24. His phone was tracked, revealing that it had been turned on at the Kashmere Gate ISBT on Monday, a day after the robbery. CCTV footage from the bus terminus captured him purchasing a ticket at 8:40 pm, carrying two bags.
A Delhi Police team reached Bilaspur on Thursday and arrested Lokesh from his rented apartment Friday morning.
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