How cops solved Delhi's Rs 25 cr jewellery heist

Delhi Police has cracked a high-profile jewellery shop theft case in which jewellery worth Rs 25 crore was said to have been stolen, making it one of the biggest robberies reported in the national capital recently.

The Times of India has detailed the investigation leading up to the arrest of the criminals. As per the report, cops scanned about 5,000 active mobile phone numbers that were active around the site when the theft occurred. Finally, they zeroed in on a number, 96691792**, registered under the name of Ajay Bharwe, located outside Delhi.

Further analysis of this number revealed two other suspicious digits, notably 77488785**, one of which was found to be active at the crime scene. Digging deeper, the police discovered that these numbers were not just randomly active but had a pattern. They were also active on September 10 and 17, indicating meticulous planning by the thieves, possibly for reconnaissance.

With this vital information in hand, the police began their pursuit. Following the trail, the suspects were tracked from Bhogal to Kashmere Gate, then on to Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, and eventually to Chhattisgarh. The investigation involved multiple teams from the Crime Branch and local police, led by police commissioner Sanjay Arora, special commissioner Ravindra Yadav, and DCPs Rajesh Deo and Sanjay Bhatia. Yadav confirmed the progression of the operation through Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, showcasing the seamless coordination between different law enforcement agencies.

A significant breakthrough occurred when the Delhi police were informed of a parallel investigation by the Chhattisgarh police. They were already pursuing a prime suspect, Lokesh Srivas, in connection with another theft case. The collaborative efforts bore fruit when the pursuit teams reached Raipur and joined forces with the local police. Despite Srivas managing to evade capture initially, his associate, Shiva Chandravanshi, was apprehended. Chandravanshi's arrest led to critical information, confirming Srivas's presence in town. In a swift and decisive operation, Srivas was arrested and subsequently presented in court, marking the culmination of a meticulously planned and executed investigation.