Jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh stolen at Metro station

NEW DELHI: A gold and diamonds merchant from Haryana has alleged that jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh was stolen from him when he put the bag containing the valuables on the scanning machine at the Chandni Chowk Metro station for security check.
Ravinder Soni (30) was on his way to catch a train and the theft was reported about 4.30 pm on Tuesday.
Delhi Police has taken up the matter with DMRC and CISF who have been requested to conduct checking of luggage on the scanner only after physical checking of passengers is over so that they are in a position to watch over their own articles.
At present, the passenger is first asked to put the luggage on the scanner, complete the physical check and then proceed to collect their luggage in some stations.
DCP (Railways) Sanjay Bhatia said Soni usually travelled to wholesale jewellery markets in Old Delhi to procure items. “He told us three youth tried to throw ice-cream (kulfi) on his clothes in order to distract him when he was on his way from the market to station. We believe he was followed by the accused to the station. They finally got the opportunity to rob him at the scanner and made good,” a senior police officer said. A case has been registered.
CCTV footage of the area has been analyzed and DMRC has been asked to hand over the raw footage to police. “A man is seen walking away confidently with the laptop bag in which Soni had kept the jewellery,” the officer said.
The police investigation will also take into account whether there was any lapse by CISF personnel posted at the Chandni Chowk station that contributed to the crime.