How Police Cracked the Delhi Metro Robbery Case

Two days after a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official was stabbed and Rs 12 lakh were stolen from the Rajendra Nagar Delhi station, the Delhi Police claims to have cracked the case. The police have arrested two people - Pawan Goswami and Sonu - in connection with the case.

Pawan allegedly conspired to carry out the heist with his aide Sonu. Pawan lured Sonu by promising a hefty share in the money that the duo would rob from the metro station.

The Delhi Police has corroborated leads from CCTV footage with the smart card code of accused Pawan. Pawan was sacked after being accused of misappropriation of collections over refilling and issuance of smart cards at Rajendra Nagar metro station. He was a token dispensing machine operator with the DMRC.

Pawan and Sonu had attacked metro official Kunal Kishore at the station's control room early on Monday morning. Kishore had reportedly flagged off the alleged "misappropriation" against Pawan.

According to the investigating authorities every smart card has an 8-digit unique code. It is through this code that DMRC can trace the entire history of the smart card. This includes information about the date and station where the card was issued, when was it recharged, the amount and entry-exit stations etc.

Following the robbery, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has issued a set of fresh instructions for security. They have disallowed covering of the face by travellers using any kind of cloth or cover like surgical masks, mufflers, 'dupatta' or anti-pollution caps.

"Only terminally ill or serious patients will be allowed to cover their faces using a mask or cover. Everyone else who uses a cover for a variety of reasons like to beat heat, pollution or for fear of contracting infection will have to remove the face cover while getting frisked. The measure was there in place and suspicious people were asked to remove it during frisking but it will now be strictly implemented in all cases. This to ensure that all faces are seen by security personnel and are also captured on CCTV cameras. In case there is an incident, everyone should be identifiable," officials said.

Pawan and Sonu, also captured on the CCTV, wore masks during their entry and exit at the station.