NEW DELHI: Two persons were arrested in a joint operation by Delhi Police and their Chhattisgarh counterpart in the `25-crore jewellery theft case in Delhi earlier this week. Stolen gold weighing 18.5 kg and diamond ornaments were reportedly recovered from the suspects, the police said on Friday.
The prime accused, Lokesh Shrivas, was held from Smiriti Nagar, Bhilai, on Friday while his aide, Shiva, was arrested in Kabir Dham in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday. DCP (southeast) Rajesh Deo many CCTV cameras were scrutinized, revealing that one individual, carrying a backpack, was seen entering an adjacent building on the night of September 24.
On September 28, Delhi Police received information from Chhattisgarh Police, identifying Lokesh Shrivas as the prime suspect. “The photograph Lokesh was obtained, which matched with the individual seen entering the adjacent building on September 24 and exiting on the evening of September 25,” stated the DCP.
He said since Lokesh was a resident of Kabir Dham, Chhattisgarh, authorities began tracing the mode of transport he used to leave the city. “Based on technical surveillance, it was found that Lokesh had booked a bus from Delhi to Sagar,” Deo said, adding that a team tracked the suspect to Bhilai.
Officers from Bilaspur reached Lokesh's hideout on September 28 morning, but he managed to evade arrest. However, Shiva was arrested. Later, Shiva led the police to Lokesh's hideout in Bhilai. In the early hours of Friday, he was arrested.