An elderly couple in Delhi's New Friends Colony was targeted in a fake Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on February 13. Three men entered their home posing as ED officers. The accused allegedly tried to rob cash and jewellery by staging a search operation.
The house belonged to 86-year-old R C Savarwal, a retired architect. He and his wife, Usha Savarwal, were present at the time. The men claimed to be ED officials. They allegedly intimidated the family, confiscated mobile phones, and locked members inside a room. Around Rs 8 lakh in cash and jewellery were taken out from a wardrobe.
The plan, however, did not go fully as intended.
How the fake raid was exposed
During the incident, Usha Savarwal managed to call her grandson. He is a lawyer and handles cases for the Enforcement Directorate. He realised from the conversation that the operation was fake.
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The accused reportedly sensed that their cover had been blown. They fled the spot with some cash and valuables before police could arrive.
So far, two people have been arrested. The three men who posed as ED officers are still absconding.
Investigation and arrests
The South-East district of Delhi Police formed a special investigation team. Around 350 CCTV cameras were scanned during the probe.
Police traced the vehicle used in the crime to a house near Vaishali in Sector 4. Call records of the house maid, Rekha Devi, allegedly showed links to that location. The house was found to belong to her sister-in-law, Pooja Rajput.
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Both women were arrested. According to police, they were key conspirators in the case. Fake identity cards, counterfeit police uniforms, and illegal pistols were recovered from the Vaishali house. The stolen jewellery was also seized.
Following the incident, police advised residents to complete verification before hiring domestic help and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
