Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A domestic help teamed up with relatives and associates to stage a fake Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the residence of her employer, an 86-year-old retired architect in southeast Delhi’s New Friends Colony. The victim’s grandson, an ED lawyer, confronted them on the phone, forcing them to flee with part of the cash.
The maid, Rekha Devi (40), and her sister-in-law, Pooja Rajput (45), have been arrested. The plot also involved Pooja’s husband, an ITBP constable, and two others.Around 10am on Feb 11, three people in police uniform forcibly entered the home, claiming to be ED officials who’d been asked to conduct a search. They did not show any warrant, authorisation letter, or identity proof.They allegedly intimidated the family, confiscated their mobile phones, and prevented them from seeking help. The trio demanded that all cash and valuables in the house be handed over. When a bag containing Rs 10-12 lakh was given to them, they arranged the cash on the dining table and took pictures, threatening the family with arrest.The victim’s wife, meanwhile, managed to contact her grandson, a lawyer affiliated with ED, who confronted the group over the phone. The suspects then fled in a car with Rs 3-4 lakh. A case has been registered.Deputy commissioner of police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said a team was formed under SHO Rajender Kumar Jain. Investigators analysed over 350 CCTV cameras. By stitching the footage together, they mapped the suspects’ movements from the crime scene.“The trail extended beyond Delhi, showing the car passing through Sarai Kale Khan, crossing the Ghazipur border, and entering Uttar Pradesh, finally stopping at sector 4, Vaishali, Ghaziabad. Footage also helped capture the vehicle’s registration number,” DCP Tiwari said.Once the car was located in Ghaziabad, technical surveillance using mobile tower data and IMEI tracking identifiedmobile numbers active at both the New Friends Colony crime scene and the Vaishali parking location at the relevant times.This led investigators to Pooja’s residence in Ghaziabad. Local intelligence confirmed that Rekha frequently visited the address, indicating an insider connection. During the raid on Pooja’s house, police recovered a deputy commandant’s uniform and ID card, a wireless set box, jewellery and a pistol with an expired licence.Interrogation revealed that Rekha, who had been working as the maid for two years, was the mastermind of the plot. She shared it with Pooja, who then involved her husband, Prakash, who’s in ITBP. Prakash recruited Updesh Singh Thapa (a retiredarmyman) and Manish.Rekha, who hails from Chamoli, Uttarakhand, reportedly provided detailed information about the household, including the number of residents and their daily routines. “She wanted to exploit the situation as the owner was elderly and had no help, seeing it as an opportunity to steal cash and valuables,” a police official said.On the day of the incident, Rekha alerted her associates, after which the three male accomplices arrived in Updesh’s vehicle and entered the house. “Rekha, as part of the plan, remained in the house, acting terrified. The group then robbed the house and fled,” police added. Police are verifying whether the complainant had conducted any prior checks on the maid.
