New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday arrested two robbers involved in a broad daylight robbery and shooting incident in the national capital’s Sunlight Colony area, officials said. The police have also recovered Rs 3.92 lakh of the looted cash, a mobile phone, weapons used in the crime, and the motorcycle deployed during the offence.
The accused have been identified as Bijender Yadav (32), a resident of Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh; and Pawan Giri (32), a resident of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh.
The case pertains to an FIR dated April 26, registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act at Sunlight Colony Police Station.
According to the police, the accused had opened fire during the robbery, leaving the complainant seriously injured.
The case had drawn significant attention due to the brazenness of the crime, which occurred in the early evening hours.
The incident took place on April 25, when complainant Shakir Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, was travelling on a black Splendor motorcycle along with his brother-in-law, Jeeshan.
While Shakir was riding the bike, Jeeshan was seated as a pillion rider and was carrying around Rs 5 lakh in a bag, which had been collected from a relative in Old Delhi.
At around 6:40 p.m. on April 25, three assailants riding a sports motorcycle intercepted them and forced them to stop.
Two of the attackers were armed with pistols, while the third was carrying a knife.
When the accused attempted to snatch the bag, Jeeshan resisted, leading to a violent escalation.
One of the accused fired a bullet at Shakir, hitting him in the abdomen, while Jeeshan was stabbed during the scuffle.
The attackers fled the site with the cash bag and Jeeshan’s mobile phone.
The injured victims were initially rushed to Holy Family Hospital and later referred to AIIMS for advanced treatment.
Following Shakir’s complaint, a case was registered, and multiple teams were deployed to identify and apprehend the culprits.
The case was taken up by the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell (AEKC) of the Crime Branch.
Acting under the supervision of DCP (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav and the leadership of ACP AEKC Pankaj Arora, a dedicated team was formed, including Inspectors Daleep Kumar and Priyanka, Sub-Inspectors Saumya, Ankur, Ashok, and Vijay, along with other staff members.
After extensive groundwork and analysis, the team received credible information on May 1, that the accused would be meeting near I.P. Park on Ring Road.
Acting swiftly, the police laid a trap at the location.
At around 7:30 p.m., two suspects riding a Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle were intercepted at the instance of a secret informer.
During the arrest, accused Pawan Giri attempted to brandish a pistol but was quickly overpowered by the police team, and the weapon was snatched from him.
The pistol was found loaded with three live cartridges.
During the search, police recovered Rs 1.94 lakh and a stolen mobile phone from Pawan, while Rs 1.98 lakh and a button-actuated knife were recovered from Bijender.
A separate case under relevant sections of the BNS and Arms Act was also registered against them.
During sustained police questioning, the accused confessed to their involvement in the Sunlight Colony robbery. They disclosed that a third accomplice, identified as Sanjay, was also part of the crime and is currently absconding.
The accused also revealed that they had conducted a detailed recce of the victims before executing the robbery.
The recovered cash was confirmed to be their share of the looted amount. They also admitted that the pistol and knife seized from them were used during the crime.
Police investigations also revealed that the motorcycle used in the robbery had been stolen in 2024 from Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh.
Bijender Yadav is a graduate and has prior involvement in multiple criminal cases, including two cases under the Excise Act (2018 and 2019) and one case of attempt to murder registered in 2021 in Baghpat.
Pawan Giri, who studied up to Class 7, has a criminal history as well and was previously involved in a murder case registered in 2022 in Meerut. He is currently out on bail in that case.
The police have recovered one country-made pistol, three live cartridges, a button-actuated knife, the stolen mobile phone, and the sports motorcycle used in the crime.
A total of Rs 3.92 lakh has been recovered from the accused, which forms a significant portion of the looted amount.
The case has been successfully worked out, and further efforts are underway to apprehend the third accused and recover the remaining stolen cash.
–IANS
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