A crime that could have come straight from an Akshay Kumar film, “Special 26,” was allegedly masterminded by a domestic worker in Delhi when she orchestrated a fake raid on her employer’s residence, using the guise of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid. However, it quickly unraveled the moment that a real attorney from the ED entered the residence.

So, how did it happen? 

It happened at the home of an 86-year-old retired architect in New Friends Colony, Southeast Delhi. Police say that the domestic worker who was allegedly the mastermind of the raid, had intimate knowledge of the daily routine of her employer and their family members, including the number of people living in the household.

During the course of the investigation, police discovered that the domestic worker and her accomplices had allegedly used this information to stage a raid that looked painfully REAL! We mean scarily REAL. 

Police told the Economic Times that the domestic employee “very carefully mapped out how to carry out the operation” and had provided her co-conspirators with detailed inside information on how to stage a raid that looked like an official search operation.

They did not have any warrant, authorisation letter or proof of identity exempting them from searching the property.

Three individuals entered the home using force, physically abused the elderly couple, took their mobile phones and restricted them when they tried calling for assistance. It was reported that the couple were locked in a room while the perpetrators conducted a fraudulent search of the residence.

During the commission of this offence, the perpetrators requested that the couple give them all cash and valuables.

As a result, the elderly couple was pressured into producing a bag of cash containing approximately between ₹10 and ₹12 lakh (as reported by TOI). The perpetrators copied the cash neatly on the table and took photographs of the couple with the cash, threatening them with arrest! 

Later, according to India Today, the elderly couple told police that the perpetrators forced them to place “all their jewellery and approximately ₹7-8 lakh (also legally earned) on the table in order to have the couple’s property returned to them during the ‘raid’.”

The events happened so chronologically and are so carefully put together, it was no less than an Anurag Kashyap thriller. (Kashyap sir, rights lelo iske). 

THE TWIST: Hila Ke Rakh Dega Ye 

But wait….here comes the twist… the wife of the victim was able to contact her grandson, a lawyer to the ED.

According to The Times of India, the grandson then confronted the alleged officers over the phone, and the accused quickly realised that a legitimate insider of the ED was on the line.

The suspects escaped from the crime scene in a vehicle, absconding with approximately ₹3-4 lakh in cash. The very act of intervention was an attempt by police officers to prevent a much larger robbery occurring as they believed was going on.

The Investigators: 350 Cameras With No End In Sight

An exhaustive and thorough investigation was initiated by Delhi police. According to Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East, a team was formed for the purpose of this investigation under the command of Rajender Kumar Jain, SHO.

According to reports, 350 CCTV cameras were reviewed by investigators from every angle possible.

Reports further indicate that investigators have been bringing together information obtained from various private cameras, different Delhi Police surveillance systems, traffic cameras and other means.

In fact, investigators were finally able to track vehicles into and out of Delhi up to Vaishali/ Ghaziabad by following a Baleno car from Sarai Kale Khan to the Ghaziabad / U.P. border.

Initially, officers didn’t have sufficient evidence. Very shortly thereafter, officers began to suspect someone who was employed as a maid.

Why did everyone become sus of the maid suddenly? 

As a result, investigators reviewed the call detail records for the maid Rekha Devi, who had been in the home at the time of the robbery. Reports of India Today suggest that technical investigation appears to have found sufficient evidence to lead to the arrest of Rekha Devi.

Officials arrested the two women involved in this case. One being Rekha Devi, a 40-year-old lady who is believed to be the main conspirator, while the second is Pooja Rajput. The two women are accused of planning this entire scheme together and have both been arrested. 

Behencode just got real, and really disturbing. 

Neither of these suspects had any prior arrest history, and Rekha was working as a domestic worker, while Pooja Rajput worked for a day care center.

WAIT, what did the police find at the maid’s house? 

Police obtained search warrants to search Rekha Devi’s residence in Vaishali.

Police recovered:

A uniform of a Deputy Commandant of the Indian Military Force

A fake identity card for a Deputy Commandant of the Indian Military Force

A wireless box that was used to simulate a wireless set to deceive victims

A pistol with an expired license (expired in 2019) 

Various amounts of jewellery

Seven watches

The fact that police found many official looking items in the home corroborates their view that the two women had gone to great lengths to set up and stage their impersonation of ITPB Officers to make the impersonation appear realistic. Wow, welcome Bunty and Babli of the Delhi universe. 

Three other men? 

While the two women have been arrested, three males are believed to have been accomplices to the women are at large.

The individuals that are listed by the media as still wanted  include:

Prakash Kumar, an ITBP Constable who is believed to have owned the uniform and fake ID used in the crime

Updesh Singh Thapa, to whom the Baleno car used in the crime is registered

Speaking to India Today, Additional DCP Aishwarya Sharma stated that the police have put in “round the clock” effort with the goal of resolving the investigation quickly as well as making significant recoveries.

She urged the public to conduct thorough background checks on any tenants, service workers, or employees before hiring them, as well as verifying the identity and credentials of anyone claiming to represent a government or law enforcement agency by conducting a search with police directly.