How a maid pulled off a fake ED raid at elderly couple's house in Delhi's New Friends Colony

A housemaid staged a fake “ED raid” at an elderly couple's residence in southeast Delhi's New Friends Colony, robbing them of around ₹4 lakh and some valuables, police said on Thursday.

According to a PTI report, three men allegedly posing as ED officials conducted a fake raid. However, during the investigation, police discovered that the couple's domestic help was the mastermind behind the plan, who had planned the whole thing with four of her relatives, which included an ITBP constable and a former army personnel, as co-accused.

The incident occurred on 11 February, around 10 am, when three men dressed in police-style uniforms entered the house of RC Sabharwal, 86, a retired senior architect and his wife, Usha Sabharwal.

Here's what happened

The police said that three men, claiming to be authorised by the ED to search, entered Sabharwal's house and asked the elderly couple to keep their mobile phones, jewellery, cash and valuables on a table.

In a statement, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Aishwarya Sharma said that they (accused) refused to show any warrant or authorisation letter and allegedly snatched the family members' mobile phones, switched them off and prevented them from contacting anyone.

Intimidated by threats of arrest, the complainant placed a bag containing around ₹10-12 lakh, stated to be legitimate business income, on the dining table.

The ADCP said that the impostors photographed the cash and reiterated threats of legal action.

How did the tables turn?

However, the tables turned when the couple was able to alert their grandson, a senior lawyer. “The situation shifted when Usha managed to alert her grandson, a senior lawyer,” the officer said.

Sensing trouble, the accused fled the spot, allegedly taking away around ₹3 to 4 lakh in cash and seven luxury watches.

Subsequently, the victims lodged a complaint at the New Friends Colony police station, and an FIR was registered under the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):

• 318(4): cheating
• 319(2): cheating by personation
• 329(4): criminal trespass
• 127(3): wrongful confinement
• 3(5): common intention

2 accused arrested

Out of the five accused, police said they arrested two people on Wednesday, identified as Rekha Devi (40), the domestic help and Pooja Rajput (45), police said.

The absconding accused are Pooja's husband, Prakash, who is an ITBP constable, her son, Manish, and Updesh Singh Thapa alias Pintu, a retired army personnel.

How did the maid pull off a fake raid?

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said that through technical surveillance, Rekha Devi emerged as the key conspirator. “Her involvement confirmed that the crime was an insider job.”

During interrogation, Rekha admitted to planning the fake raid after observing that the complainant was elderly and often alone at home.

They believed that impersonating officials of a central agency would ensure compliance and minimise resistance from the family.

Luxury watches and jewellery found at the accused's residence

During a search of Pooja's residence in Vaishali, police recovered a deputy commandant uniform of the ITBP, its ID card, and a wireless device allegedly used to mimic official police communication.

Delhi police also seized seven luxury watches, jewellery allegedly stolen from the complainant's house, and a pistol whose licence had expired in 2019.

"Raids are being conducted at multiple locations to trace and arrest the remaining accused. Efforts are also underway to recover the remaining stolen cash and any other case property," Tiwari said.

Further investigation is underway to establish the exact roles of each accused, verify the source of the uniform and identity card, and determine whether the accused were involved in any similar incidents in the past.