New Delhi: All ‘malkhanas’ (evidence storage rooms) in the national capital will be monitored by 20 personnel instead of 10 to 12 till now after a Delhi Police head constable was arrested for allegedly stealing cash and jewellery worth over Rs 1.5 crore from the malkhana at the Special Cell’s Lodhi Road office, an official said on Tuesday.
Sources said usually, the malkhana is monitored using CCTV footage and 10 to 12 personnel are always deputed there to keep strict vigil.
“We have decided to step up security at all the malkhanas. From now on, there will be 20 personnel who will keep strict vigil all the time,” said a police source.
The decision came after head constable Khurshid, posted with the Delhi Police, was arrested for allegedly stealing case properties.
The sources said during interrogation, Khurshid allegedly said he was into online gaming and gambling and needed the money to clear his debts.
Some officials said the suspect managed to sneak in when the security was thin while others claimed the police station was having no security when the incident happened.
Khurshid was earlier attached to the Special Cell and had access to the malkhana. He was recently transferred to the east district but is suspected to have continued entering the premises using a duplicate key, the sources said.
The matter came to light late last month when officials noticed some cash missing from the storage area. Initially presumed to be a case of misplacement, the concern became serious after the malkhana was found unlocked, prompting a review of the CCTV footage.
The police sources said they saw Khurshid entering the malkhana late at night. He allegedly used a duplicate key and stole the items while the premises were either unguarded or the duty officer was asleep.
“Khurshid had served as an assistant to the malkhana in-charge for around 18 months and allegedly used this familiarity to his advantage. He got a copy of the keys made during his tenure and exploited the lack of vigilance after his transfer,” said the source.
The suspect was apprehended from his residence in northeast Delhi on May 31, the same day an FIR was lodged against him. He was remanded to police custody and some stolen items were recovered from his car.
Police had initially estimated the stolen amount to be around Rs 51 lakh. Later, the estimate was revised to Rs 70 lakh but now they believe the value of the stolen properties could exceed Rs 1.5 crore. A substantial portion of the stolen property has been recovered, said the source.
The Lodhi Colony police station, which handles sensitive cases related to national security and terrorism, is normally guarded by a team of six to seven personnel, including Special Cell officers, Nagaland Police staff and armed security.