25-year-old attempts armed robbery to pay alimony; arrested along with two associates

The police recovered a motorcycle, a desi country-made pistol, a bag, and the clothes worn by the accused during the crime. Representational pic

In a shocking incident, a man and two associates attempted to rob a senior citizen at gunpoint in the Pitampura area of Delhi, with the intent of securing money to pay alimony to his wife following their divorce, reported ANI. All the three accused have been arrested, and the weapons and other items used in the crime have been recovered, Delhi Police said on Monday.

According to the police, on March 31, a PCR (police control room) call was made to the police station at Maurya Enclave, reporting that a firearm had been brandished at a senior citizen. Acting swiftly, the police reached the scene, where the complainant, 72-year-old Kamlesh Arora, told the police that the incident took place around 3.30 pm.

"An unknown man rang the bell claiming he had a courier and entered the house. He tried to choke me. Soon, another man armed with a weapon entered. My daughter, seeing the situation, quickly ran out and locked the wooden door, after which the attackers fled on a motorcycle driven by their third associate," Arora told the police.

Following the complaint, a case was registered at the police station under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. The police launched an investigation, and began analysing CCTV footage from nearby cameras and gathering intelligence from local sources. Several raids were conducted at suspected hideouts, ANI reported.

Through sustained efforts, the police team apprehended two suspects - Pankaj, 25, a resident of Budh Vihar Phase-I, and Rama Swami, 28, a resident of Mangolpuri. During interrogation, Pankaj confessed that he had committed the crime to raise funds to pay alimony after his divorce, Delhi Police said. He also allegedly admitted that a few days prior to the incident, he and his associate Harsh had observed the elderly couple outside their home and assumed only they lived there.

Based on this information, their co-accused Abhishek, alias Harsh, 26, who is a resident of Budh Vihar Phase-I, was also arrested, ANI reported. The police recovered a motorcycle, a desi country-made pistol, a bag, and the clothes worn by the accused during the crime.

Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.

(With ANI inputs)