NEW DELHI: A 60-year-old stock market investor was found dead at his home in northwest Delhi’s Rohini, with police detaining his niece and two of her alleged associates in connection with the robbery-cum-murder.According to news agency PTI, Rakesh Khanna was found unconscious at his Sector 3 home on Tuesday evening, after a PCR call reported a house theft and an unconscious person inside the premises. He was taken to Jaipur Golden Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.“Prima facie, there were no visible injuries on the body,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said.Police said Khanna was alone at home when the incident took place. His house had been ransacked and around Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and some gold jewellery were reported stolen.The police said the group had conducted a recce of the house on Sunday before carrying out the robbery.According to investigators, three people entered Khanna’s house at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday, while another associate allegedly kept watch outside.“The group allegedly entered the premises with the intention of committing robbery. Around Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and certain gold jewellery were reported stolen,” Jaiswal said.
Niece suspected to be mastermind
The preliminary investigation led police to 23-year-old Simran Taneja, a primary school teacher and Khanna’s niece.Taneja, who lives in Burari, is suspected of planning the robbery and death with the help of her associates, police said.“She is the niece of the deceased. Two of her alleged associates, Chirag (22), a resident of Burari, who works as a gym trainer and Paras (19), a class 12 student, were also apprehended in connection with the case,” the DCP said.Another alleged associate, Himanshu, a Burari resident and gym owner, is absconding, police said.Investigators said Paras had previously been booked in a criminal case at Mukherjee Nagar Police Station.
Cash and jewellery recovered
Police have recovered around Rs 70,000 in cash and some of the gold jewellery reported stolen from Khanna’s house.The circumstances surrounding Khanna’s death are being investigated. Police are also trying to establish the exact role of each accused and the sequence of events inside the house.A case under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder), 309(4) (robbery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS has been registered at South Rohini Police Station.Police said efforts were underway to arrest Himanshu and recover the remaining stolen items.(With inputs from PTI)
