New Delhi, April 9 Taking advantage of her friend's trust, a woman is alleged to have "borrowed" the key to her house under the pretext of applying henna, later using it to rob her residence and escape with ₹3.2 lakh in cash and several gold ornaments in the Sultanpuri area of outer Delhi, police said on Thursday.
Two individuals, including the woman, have been arrested in connection with the incident, they added.
According to an official, an FIR was registered on April 4 after a complainant reported a theft at her house between 1 pm and 5 pm on the same day.
The complainant stated that unidentified individuals had entered her locked house and fled with cash and jewellery. "The stolen items included approximately ₹3.2 lakh in cash and multiple gold ornaments such as necklace sets, rings, a chain, and anklets," a senior police officer said.
Police analysed CCTV footage from the area, which showed a man – accompanied by a woman wearing a burqa – carrying a bag near the spot.
On April 7, police conducted a raid in the Sultanpuri area after receiving information that a man was attempting to sell jewellery suspected to be stolen. "The accused, identified as Rajinder (22), was apprehended at the spot," the officer said.
During interrogation, Rajinder revealed that he had committed the theft with the help of his aunt, who has been a friend of the complainant for several years. Police said that the accused woman had gained access to the complainant's house keys earlier on the day of the theft under the pretext of applying henna, and later used them to carry out the theft.
Police recovered ₹1.92 lakh in cash along with jewellery items, including two gold necklace sets, a gold ring, a gold chain, a pair of gold earrings, and anklets, from Rajinder's possession.
The accused woman was subsequently apprehended from her residence, and additional jewellery was recovered at her instance, police said, adding that both accused have been arrested and further investigation into the matter is underway.