Family held captive, robbed of over Rs 2 crore in Delhi's Ashok Vihar

NEW DELHI: The family of a businessman was held at gunpoint for nearly an hour by five men in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar before the intruders decamped with cash and jewellery worth over Rs 2 crore. So far no one has been arrested for the crime.

According to police, the incident took place very early on Sunday at Ashok Vihar Phase II. Five men, their faces covered by cloths and masks, entered the house after cutting the window grille of one of the rooms on the ground floor.
They saw the businessman’s father asleep in one of the rooms. A police officer said, "One of the robbers, armed with a pistol, asked the startled businessman's father to hand over cash and jewellery." Hearing the noise, other family members also woke up to find the intruders in their home.
At the time of the incident, around eight people, including children, were present in the house. The businessman is engaged in the paper trade while his father earlier worked as a contractor.
Two of the robbers were carrying pistols and the others held housebreaking equipment. "The men entered the house between 1.30am and 2.30am. They kept the family confined for at least an hour," the officer said. “They then collected Rs 1.3 crore in cash and numerous items of jewellery from different cupboards in the house. Before leaving, they locked the family in a room and threatened them with dire action if they informed the cops about the robbery.
The initial police investigation found that the robbers had tampered with the CCTV cameras and DVR installed in the house. Police said they were probing the role of the family’s former and current employees and the domestic help. Apparently, the quintet had reconnoitred the area for several days before committing the crime. "We are going through the footage of CCTV cameras located nearby for clues in the case. We have also asked the victims to inform us about past disputes, if any, they have had.
Cops suspect that after committing the crime, the accused fled to a railway station. "The investigators have located CCTV footage showing a group of men carrying two bags walking on the railway tracks towards a station," a police source said.