IPS officer’s beacon-mounted car stolen; Delhi, NCR cops on alert

At a time when the country is on a high alert for possible terror attacks on crucial government establishments and public places, the blue beacon car of an Inspector General (IG) rank officer of ITBP was stolen in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Frantic search operations have begun and neighbouring Delhi Police have also sought help of media houses to trace the vehicle. 

As per the report, the IG was in for a rude shock when he discovered his Tata Safari, with the beacon mounted on it, was stolen from outside his house located within a gated colony in the city. The officer traced his car through the CCTV footages and found that it had been at stolen at around 3 am. An FIR was registered. Notably, cases of car thefts are not new in the city, though this is the first instance in the recent times of an officer’s marked vehicle being stolen.

Anand Swarup, a UP-cadre officer, currently on deputation to the Centre, reported the matter to the police and also submitted the video footage from the security camera. “Three police teams have been constituted to trace the vehicle. We are suspecting the role of an employee of the service center because the SUV was serviced recently. The vehicle could have been stolen with duplicate keys. It was a new SUV equipped with a high security number plate and sensor locking system. We are also questioning the security guards of the society as they failed to monitor the movement of thieves. The cops also acquired the CCTV footages of the theft. In the footage, it was found that it took them (thieves) half-an-hour to unlock the car,” said Anoop Singh, deputy SP of Noida.

The incident also created panic among Delhi Police as they are on toes, keeping in mind the Republic Day arrangements.

“All requested to share info if any with Delhi 100 or Noida SSP or 100 reg this vehicle if spotted. Join hands to keep Delhi safe. Retweet pl,” the Delhi Police said on its official Twitter handle in an attempt to inform people at large.

“All DCPs have been asked to direct their personnel and local police to inform immediately if they spot the said vehicle. Several checking teams have been deployed and traffic officials have been briefed about the SUV,” Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said. Officials said all police units in the National Capital Region have been alerted in this regard.

Swarup, a 1992-batch Indian Police Service officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is posted as IG (Provisioning) at the headquarters of the border guarding force in Delhi. ITBP has instituted a court of inquiry into the incident, they said, adding the IG was posted in Delhi a few months back on transfer from Mussoorie. Officials said the SUV was purchased some months back and has a blue beacon, a two-star police IG plate and an ITBP flag in the front.