Delhi Police cracks Rs 1 crore 'Thak-Thak gang theft'; Tamil Nadu resident arrested, jewellery recovered

(Representative image)

The Delhi Police has cracked a theft case involving jewellery worth nearly Rs 1 crore, stolen from a parked car by the alleged members of Thak-Thak gang, an official said on Friday.

Police said the incident took place in Karol Bagh last month. Stolen ornaments valued at about Rs 35 lakh have been recovered so far.

According to police, the accused, identified as T Sarath Kumar (31), a resident of Tamil Nadu, was arrested from the Nizamuddin area on December 15 after analysis of CCTV footage. Police said he is part of the infamous Thak-Thak gang.

"The theft took place on November 14 when the complainant, a jewellery trader, had collected pieces of gold and diamond jewellery along with grading certificates from the International Gemological Institute (IGI) lab in Karol Bagh. After keeping the bag containing the jewellery in his car parked near Durga Park, he briefly went to a nearby shop," the officer said.

He further said that when the trader returned, he found the right-side window glass of the car broken and the bag missing. An FIR was registered at Karol Bagh police station.

Given the high value of the stolen property, multiple teams of the crime branch were constituted, which scanned footage from nearly 100 CCTV cameras installed at and around the spot and along possible escape routes.

"During the probe, several offenders involved in similar crimes were questioned, and investigators zeroed in on a Trichy-based gang known for targeting parked vehicles near jewellery markets," he said, adding that the accused was arrested near Nizamuddin Railway Station.

Police said that Kumar is a school dropout and a habitual offender. He is involved in at least eight criminal cases in Delhi. He has also been declared a proclaimed offender in four theft cases registered at the Kamla Market police station.

"We have recovered jewellery worth around Rs 35 lakh from his possession, while efforts are on to trace the remaining stolen items and identify other gang members," the officer added.