New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a 31-year-old man who had been evading arrest for nearly two years in an alleged armed robbery involving ₹7 lakh taken from a jewellery trader in west Delhi. The accused, identified as Yogesh Mehta, had been declared a proclaimed offender by a court and was reportedly changing his locations to avoid being traced.
According to police, sustained intelligence gathering and technical surveillance eventually helped the Northern Range-II team track him down.
Armed Robbery Reported in Tilak Nagar
Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandra Kumar Singh said Mehta allegedly carried out the robbery with associates in the jurisdiction of Tilak Nagar police station. The group reportedly threatened a jewellery trader at gunpoint and looted ₹7 lakh.
A case was registered under FIR No. 134/2024. The accused’s alleged associates, Harsh Kumar, Rajan alias Bhola and Aditya alias Jackie, had already been arrested, while Mehta remained at large. A court subsequently declared him a proclaimed offender.
How Did Police Track Down the Absconding Accused?
Police said the Northern Range-II Crime Branch team had been assigned the task of tracing wanted suspects. Head Constable Ajay Sehrawat received crucial information about Mehta’s movements, following which officers used technical surveillance and informant inputs to locate and arrest him.
According to the police account, Mehta was arrested under Section 41.1(b)(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as cited by the department.
Operation Conducted Under Senior Officers’ Supervision
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashok Sharma and led by Inspector Sandeep Swami.
The team included Sub-Inspectors Sukhwinder Singh and Pradeep Dhull; Assistant Sub-Inspector Sunil Kumar; Head Constables Sumer Singh, Nitin Nain, Raj Aryan, Naval Yadav, Ajay Sehrawat and Harendra Kumar; and Constable Yogendra.
Police said Mehta had studied up to Class 12. He is also reportedly named in another criminal case registered at Rohini South police station in 2022.
The arrest marks a development in the investigation into the 2024 robbery case, in which the accused had remained untraceable despite the arrests of his alleged accomplices.
