Jaipur, 14 November: In a bewildering turn of events in Jaipur, a 31-year-old man, overwhelmed by debt, masterminded a staged robbery only to be caught after clever police work exposed the plot.
According to investigators, the accused reported that on November 9 near a SBI branch on Gopinath Marg, his bag containing Rs 2.58 lakh was snatched by two helmeted bikers, and he fainted, supposedly rushed to SMS Hospital. But CCTV footage and call-detail records didn’t match his story.
Upon scrutiny, the man admitted he had roped in two friends, aged 23 and 31, to carry out the staged snatching: he carried the cash bag he was supposed to report as stolen money belonging to his brother-in-law. He signalled the duo during his walk by shifting the bag from his rear seat to a fuel-tank location, making it easier for them to grab it while he pretended to collapse.
Police recovered Rs 1.08 lakh from the main accused and Rs 1.5 lakh from one accomplice, along with the motorcycle used in the act. All three are under arrest.
The case raises again the old warning: financial distress may push people into desperate plots and the deceptive simplicity of this staged robbery underscores how closely law-enforcement now tracks movement via CCTV and call records.
Authorities say this incident will be added to their ledger of fraud-disguised-as-crime cases, and they are urging people handling large sums of cash especially in private transactions to adopt stricter safeguards.
Readers are reminded: If you are transferring or carrying significant cash amounts, ensure proper documentation, bank use, and awareness of your surroundings even trusted relations can become part of a crime’s script.