New Delhi:
Investigations into an eight-crore car heist in south Delhi have turned on the man who was robbed, a businessman and an alleged bookie.
The police suspect the money stolen from Rajesh Kalra's car on Tuesday morning was linked to payoffs in a betting racket, and could be in the range of 10 to 15 crores, far more than claimed. The cash also included euros and dollars, cops allege.
Mr Kalra has claimed that the money was for a property deal that fell through, but the police are skeptical, given the businessman's past. He and his associate, Rakesh Ahuja, who was also with him at the time, are being questioned. Mr Kalra's driver, also an alleged bookie, is being probed and raids have been conducted at his Haryana home.
The police say Rajesh Kalra was named as a conduit between South African skipper Hansie Cronje and a London based bookie in the 2000 match-fixing scandal. Cronje had allegedly used the businessman's phone to strike a deal to fix a one-day match with India.
The Delhi Police got a call from Mr Kalra at about 9.30 am yesterday. He said he was driving his Honda City to his bank in Karol Bagh to deposit eight crore rupees when a silver Maruti Wagon R overtook him and forced him to stop.
He said a few men walked up to the Honda City, pointed a gun and snatched the money. They allegedly forced people out of the car and escaped in it.
The police said the Wagon R that the alleged robbers left behind was stolen about half an hour before the robbery. Two of the suspects traveled in a Hyundai Verna that was abandoned close to the spot. Both cars seemed to have tailed the City before robbing it.
About four and a half hours later, the cops found the hijacked Honda City. It had two empty bags in it, the cops said.