The Hindu : New Delhi News : Five held for killing of cashier

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Five held for killing of cashier

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 12. Five persons have been arrested by the North-West Delhi police for allegedly robbing and killing a 60-year-old man at Sultanpuri in North-West Delhi on July 21. One of the accused, who used to work under the victim, had tipped-off his associates about his daily movement.

According to the police, Som Nath Malhotra, who was cashier at Krishan Vihar depot of a soft drink company, used to carry the cash from the depot in Krishan Vihar to the Nirankari Colony depot every day, mostly on scooter. The manner of the crime also indicated that the assailants knew about his movement and the fact that he always kept the cash in the boot of the scooter.

The police, therefore, questioned 95 drivers and helpers who were working at the depot.

The alibi of one of them, Venkatesh alias Raju, made the police suspicious. He had taken leave from work a day before and a day after the incident. Following sustained interrogation, Venkatesh allegedly confessed to having been involved in the crime.

Venkatesh told the police that since he was aware of the route which Mr. Malhotra used to take, he talked to his friend Dharmender about the possibility of huge booty.

Dharmender, a juice seller, allegedly had links with the criminals. Dharmender contacted his associates Jaswinder Singh, Surender Singh, Sunil Kumar and Ali and hatched a conspiracy.

Four days before the incident, the accused identified the target and carried out a recce of the route he used to take. On July 21, around 12 p.m., Mr. Malhotra left his office. Dharmender, who was at the depot, alerted his associates who had taken position on the busy main Kanjhawala Road.

Around 12-15 p.m., when Mr. Lal reached that particular stretch, Surender shot at him from his .38-Webley Scott. As Mr. Lal collapsed, Sunil and Ali, who were also present nearby, picked up the scooter and fled. All the accused then met at Surender's house in Bawana.

The booty was distributed and they all separated. Following the arrests, the police recovered Rs. 1.15 lakhs from the accused and also the weapon of offence from the accused.

Barring Jaswinder, an alleged bad character, and Surender, a Proclaimed Offender in a murder case, all the other accused are first timers. Efforts are on to trace Ali.

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