Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 20: In a daring and cinematic-style heist straight out of a Bollywood crime thriller, a woman and her two accomplices posed as CBI officers and looted cash and jewellery worth several lakhs from a businessman’s home in Wazirabad, North Delhi.

The accused—a 22-year-old woman who turned out to be a distant relative of the victim, Keshav Prasad (28), a Haridwar-based shopkeeper, and Vivek Singh (20), an unemployed youth from Delhi’s Johripur—executed the robbery on July 10, before vanishing without a trace.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia, the trio dressed in white shirts and black trousers to impersonate CBI officials from the so-called “Okhla branch”. Wearing face masks and brandishing a fake FIR, they demanded access to the house under the pretext of conducting a raid.

When the family sought documentation, the imposters reportedly rebuked them for non-cooperation and proceeded to forcibly open an almirah, from which they took Rs 3 lakh in cash and a large quantity of gold and silver jewellery. For formality, they scribbled a fake acknowledgment in a child’s notebook and quickly fled the scene.

Realising the anomaly, the family alerted police, triggering a week-long investigation that spanned Delhi, Haridwar, and Mussoorie. Delhi Police reviewed footage from over 200 CCTV cameras, eventually tracing the suspects using a motorcycle seen near the crime scene. The vehicle led them to Karawal Nagar, where the bike was registered in Keshav Prasad’s name.

Using technical surveillance and phone tracking, the police pursued the suspects as they moved across Haridwar and Mussoorie, checking into hotels and splurging some of the loot on travel and luxuries. On July 18, a breakthrough came when the woman and Prasad were arrested in Mussoorie, and Vivek Singh was picked up from Haridwar the same day.

During interrogation, the trio confessed. The woman admitted to planning the robbery after learning about the family’s valuables during prior visits. She enlisted Prasad, who roped in his neighbour Vivek to complete the fake CBI team. The plan included purchasing formal clothing and rehearsing how to mimic the conduct of actual officers.

The police have recovered Rs 1.75 lakh in cash, 29 pieces of gold and silver ornaments, and the motorcycle used in the robbery. The case has stirred concerns about rising crimes involving impersonation and familial betrayal.

Authorities are urging the public to verify credentials before allowing entry to anyone claiming to be from law enforcement. Further investigation is underway to ascertain if the trio had executed similar heists before.