New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday claimed to have solved the recent burglary case at Umrao Singh Jeweller’s in southeast Delhi’s Bhogal area on September 24 in which jewellery worth about Rs 20-25 crore was stolen.
Officials revealed that they have arrested the prime suspect identified as Lokesh Shrivas, a resident of Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur. He was nabbed during a carefully coordinated operation involving both the Delhi and Bilaspur Police.
The daring burglary, which took place on the night of September 24, saw the theft of valuable jewellery from Umrao Singh Jewellers. The case garnered immediate attention, leading to the formation of multiple investigative teams to solve the crime and recover the stolen items.
According to Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Southeast, a crucial turning point in the investigation came on Thursday, when inputs from Chhattisgarh Police led to the identification of Lokesh Shrivas as the prime suspect.
Photographic evidence confirmed his presence at the scene, as he was captured on multiple CCTV cameras entering an adjoining building on the night of the incident and exiting on the evening of September 25.
Since Lokesh Shrivas was a resident of Kabir Dham, Chhattisgarh, authorities initiated efforts to trace his whereabouts and mode of transportation. Technical surveillance revealed that the suspect had booked a bus from Delhi to Sagar, scheduled to depart at 9:00 pm on September 25.
Acting swiftly on this information, a dedicated team was dispatched to ISBT Kashmere Gate. Their efforts led them to Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, where they eventually cornered Lokesh Shrivas. A joint operation involving Delhi Police officers, Raipur Police, and Durg Police was set into motion, culminating in a tense standoff, Deo mentioned.
Meanwhile, in a parallel development, officers from Bilaspur Police had reached Lokesh Shrivas’s hideout in Kabir Dham on Thursday morning. Although the suspect managed to evade capture, his associate, Shiva, was apprehended. Notably, Shiva later assisted Bilaspur Police in locating Lokesh Shrivas.
Around 7:00 pm on Thursday, Shiva led Bilaspur Police to Shrivas’s hideout in Smriti Nagar, Bhilai. Concurrently, Delhi Police officials also arrived at the scene by 11:00 p.m. The breakthrough finally came at approximately 5:45 a.m. on September 29 when Lokesh Shrivas made an appearance and attempted to flee. However, he was swiftly pursued and apprehended by Delhi and Bilaspur Police officers.
A thorough search of the hideout yielded the recovery of the stolen jewellery. Both the seizure of stolen property and the arrest of Lokesh Shrivas were carried out by Bilaspur Police, DCP Southeast said.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working diligently to gather more details about the burglary and any potential accomplices, the official added.