In a case of brazen deception, the Noida Police on Saturday arrested two men for allegedly orchestrating a fake robbery to embezzle vehicles and high-value goods worth approximately Rs 2.1 crore from a company. The accused, identified as Mahfooz Khan (29) from Ayodhya and Akhilesh (25) from Amethi, both residents of Mehrauli in Delhi, were apprehended following a detailed probe.
The Elaborate Fake Robbery Plot
The complaint that unraveled the scheme was filed by Bhavan Bhasin, a resident of JP Cosmos Society in Sector 134, Noida. Bhasin informed the Phase-1 police station that after her husband's recent passing, she had taken charge of their family business, a company manufacturing and supplying decorative items for events.
According to her complaint, on the night of December 11, a company truck loaded with decorative items was en route to Delhi. Near the DND flyover, the driver reported that unknown individuals forcibly boarded the vehicle, threatened him and a helper, pushed them out, and fled with the loaded truck.
The plot thickened when Bhasin was later told that the missing truck had been seized by a bank over pending dues. However, upon contacting the bank, officials denied any knowledge of such a seizure, casting immediate doubt on the driver's story and prompting police involvement.
Police Investigation Uncovers the Truth
A dedicated police team was formed under ACP Swatantra Singh to investigate the suspicious incident. Acting on gathered intelligence, the team arrested the two prime accused, Mahfooz Khan and Akhilesh, on Saturday near the Pakshi Vihar underpass.
During interrogation, led by Additional DCP Shavya Goyal, the police uncovered the conspiracy. The investigation revealed that the accused had planned to exploit the transition in company leadership following the owner's death. Mahfooz Khan, who was hired for transport services, and Akhilesh, a company driver, conspired to misappropriate the firm's assets.
They fabricated the story of a highway robbery, betting that Bhasin, being new to the business operations, would not detect the fraud immediately. Meanwhile, they had already hidden away the company's vehicles.
Massive Recovery of Stolen Property
Based on the disclosures and pointing out by the arrested duo, the police executed recoveries of the embezzled property. The recovered items include:
- Three Canter trucks
- One Tata Intra vehicle
- A large quantity of event management equipment valued at around Rs 2.1 crore
The equipment comprised high-value items such as LED panels, professional speakers, sound mixers, amplifiers, microphones, audio processors, advanced lighting systems, control boxes, and various other accessories. Police stated that the accused were allegedly planning to sell off all the stolen vehicles and goods.
A formal case has been registered at the Phase-1 police station under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust and cheating. The police have indicated that further investigation is ongoing to determine if the duo was involved in similar offences in other regions and to identify any potential buyers they may have contacted to dispose of the stolen property.
