Smoke bomb–making DU MPhil student arrested for Delhi heists

NEW DELHI: A 32-year-old man with an MPhil in Chemistry from Delhi University, who used his knowledge to make smoke bombs for robberies, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in two armed jewellery shop heists in northwest Delhi’s Model Town area, officials said on Sunday.

The accused, Deep Shubham, a native of Sitamarhi in Bihar and currently residing in Sohna in Haryana, was a proclaimed offender in two robbery cases and had earlier been convicted in a bank robbery in his home state, police said.

“Shubham, who was arrested from the Hari Nagar area in Sohna following a tip-off, had used his chemistry background to prepare a smoke bomb while executing a bank robbery in Bihar,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora said in a statement.

According to the officer, the accused, despite his strong academic record, turned to crime due to financial distress. He had completed BSc (Hons), MSc and MPhil in Chemistry from Delhi University, and also briefly pursued law in Visakhapatnam.

“In 2021, he and his associates carried out two armed robberies at jewellery shops in the Gujranwala area. In one incident, they looted over Rs 6 lakh in cash and mobile phones at gunpoint, while in another, they escaped with Rs 70,000 after threatening the staff,” said the officer.

Police said Shubham had previously robbed a government bank in Bihar’s Pupri area in 2017 using a homemade smoke bomb made from methyl acetate and benzine. He fled with around Rs 3.6 lakh in cash.

“After securing bail in the Delhi cases, he went underground and frequently changed locations to avoid arrest. He was recently traced by the team and arrested. Shubham was currently working as an interior designer at a private firm in Sohna,” he added.