Cops solve robbery in Kotwali in under 12 hrs

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have solved a sensational armed robbery at Kotwali within 12 hours and arrested five persons.

Three country-made pistols, one bike and the looted amount, close to Rs 13. 86 lakh, have been recovered.

Police said that on Tuesday, around 5,30 pm, armed dacoits stormed a stationary shop, located on the first floor in Old Lajpat Rai Market, Chandni Chowk, Kotwali.

Two employees were at the shop at the time of the incident, both of whom had brought around Rs 14 lakh to the shop, minutes before the armed robbers struck.

The employees were waiting for instructions from their employer, when one of the accused entered the shop with a bag in his hand. He was then joined by his partner and took out pistols from the bag and threatened the two employees.

The accused then tied the employees' hands and fled with the stolen cash, an SBI passbook, cheque book and a purse.

"The whole area and escape routes of the criminals were searched and CCTV footages were collected. During combing of the escape route, police found a mobile phone and worked upon it as the ownership of the SIM card used in the mobile was fake," said DCP (North) Jatin Narwal.

Police tracked the original owner of the mobile phone, identified as Mohsin Alam from Maujpur, who was then arrested and questioned.

A country-made pistol, cash amounting to Rs 4 lakh, a mobile phnoe, the SBI cheque book and a diary were recovered from him, police said.

Alam had thrown away the SIM card from the mobile, believing that police will not be able to track him.

On further interrogation, Alam disclosed the names of his accomplices, who were arrested from different hideouts across Delhi and Ghaziabad.