Chhattisgarh's Lone Mastermind: Lokesh Srivas Orchestrates Daring Rs 25 Crore Delhi Jewelry Heist Weighing 30 Kg

The sensational Rs 25 crore jewelry heist that rattled Delhi was masterminded and executed by a lone individual, despite the appearance of a meticulously coordinated gang operation. Lokesh Srivas, a 32-year-old native of Chhattisgarh, was apprehended on Friday morning in Chhattisgarh in connection with the robbery at a jewelry store in Delhi's Bhogal area.

The theft at Umrao Jewellers in Delhi's Bhogal area has been labeled as one of the largest heists in the national capital's history. Upon investigation, it was uncovered that Srivas had arrived in Delhi from Chhattisgarh earlier in the month, traveling solo by bus. He meticulously studied the area and discovered that the jewelry shop remained closed on Mondays.

On Sunday night, he gained access to the shop via the terrace of an adjacent building and remained concealed inside for several hours. He departed on Monday with gold and diamond jewelry valued at Rs 20-25 crore, in addition to a sum of cash.

The police investigating the case were astonished by the level of planning involved in the heist. In addition to pilfering all the jewelry on display, the thief used a gas cutter to breach the strong room and stole jewelry from there as well. He spent approximately 15-20 hours inside the shop before making off on Monday with approximately 30kg of jewelry and Rs 5 lakh in cash.

This was not Srivas's first involvement in criminal activities; he was wanted by the Chhattisgarh Police for a series of robberies in the state. In fact, he committed his most recent robbery in Chhattisgarh on August 25, just days before departing for Delhi.

In Delhi, the police meticulously reviewed footage from numerous CCTV cameras. They discovered that a suspect carrying a backpack entered the adjacent building around 10:45 pm on September 24 and was seen leaving the building around 5 pm on September 25. A similar image of an individual arrested in Chhattisgarh for robbing a house of Rs 3.5 crore was found online.

Meanwhile, an associate of Srivas named Shiva Chandravanshi was apprehended by Chhattisgarh Police. He informed the authorities that his friend had carried out a major theft in Delhi. Acting on this information, a joint team from Delhi and Chhattisgarh reached Bhilai, where Srivas resided in a rented accommodation. Upon his arrival at around 5:45 am on Friday, he was pursued and arrested.