Delhi heist: Mastermind identified, three arrested

Businessman Rajesh Kalra's office boy - who is a juvenile - is the mastermind behind the sensational Rs.7.69-crore heist in the national capital, police said Saturday. He has been detained and three of his accomplices arrested.

Raids were also being conducted to nab at least six of his accomplices, police said.

Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell and Training) S.N. Shrivastava said the accused have been identified as Gulzar, Tilak and Praveen, who live in Chattarpur area in south Delhi.

"Three people were arrested from different parts of the city and Rs.1.5 crore has so far been recovered," another police officer told IANS.

Shrivastava said the plot was unearthed during interrogation of Kalra's employees and on the basis of "other crucial information".

A group of people robbed Rs.7.69 crore in cash from Kalra near Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi and hijacked the car in which he was going with four other employees Tuesday morning.

The 17-year-old office boy, a resident of south Delhi's Madangir, was in Kalra's Honda City car Tuesday, but was constantly misleading police by providing false information.

He, however, broke down when confronted with evidence Thursday.

He also revealed about being aware of Kalra's monetary transactions and contacting a criminal named Shakti Naidu to plan the heist, police said.

Naidu, who was arrested in a bank robbery case in 2002, roped in a criminal named Pradeep from northwest Delhi's Karala village, who then approached at least nine others.

Once the gang was in place, they drew an elaborate map of the route taken by Kalra's employees to transfer cash in the Honda City car.

"They also did a recce of the route Jan 24. Then the entire heist was planned in detail, including the interception point and escape routes," Shrivastava added.

The juvenile was the one who was passing on information to the gang.

On Monday, he tipped off the gang that a huge amount of money was scheduled to be transported Tuesday.

In the Honda City car, the boy was using five mobile phone numbers to inform the gang through text messages about the movement of the car.

The probe further revealed that three cars were used by the accused in the crime - a Maruti WagonR, Hyundai Verna and a Volkswagen Jetta.

While the WagonR and Verna were found abandoned on the day of the heist, the accused revealed that the cash was taken away in the Jetta car owned by Shakti Naidu.

Police are yet to recover the Jetta.