Security officer held for Rs 1.25-cr burglary at employer’s house

A private security officer was arrested for committing a burglary at his employer’s residence in Greater Kailash, South Delhi. The accused stole cash and jewellery collectively valued at Rs 1.25 crore, police officials said on Saturday.

The accused, Vikas Kumar (38), who was employed as a personal security officer (PSO) just three months ago, reportedly took advantage of his employer’s absence while the family was on an overseas trip. The burglary was discovered when the complainant returned home on September 28 after a week-long vacation to find that cash and jewellery had been stolen from the house.

A formal complaint was lodged and a case was registered under relevant sections.

South District Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ankit Chauhan said, “The complainant informed us that his family had been out of the country from September 22 to September 28. Upon returning, they found cash, and gold, diamond, and silver jewellery worth approximately Rs 1.25 crore were missing from their residence. Following the complaint, a special team was formed to investigate the case.”

“We immediately began an investigation and examined the CCTV footage of the area. However, the cameras at the crime scene had been tampered with. Through technical analysis and surveillance of the surrounding areas, we identified a suspicious car at the crime spot on the intervening night of September 25 and September 26. The vehicle was traced to Vikas Kumar, the PSO of the complainant,” said Chauhan.

The complainant identified the man in the footage, leading the police to conduct a search.

“After a detailed technical analysis and surveillance, Kumar’s location was tracked to Baghpat, UP, where a raid was conducted and he was apprehended. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and revealed that he had tampered with the CCTV cameras before accessing the house,” the DCP added.

The police recovered Rs 70 lakhs in cash, along with gold, diamond and silver jewellery valued at Rs 55 lakhs from his residence in Baghpat. The car used during the burglary was also impounded. The accused disclosed that he had planned the burglary, aiming to live a luxurious life. On the intervening night of September 25 and 26, he entered the house via the terrace and stole the valuables, the police said.