Delhi cop left back door of his Lutyen’s house open. A thief walked in

On the morning of August 11, an Indian Police Service officer working for the Delhi Police arrived home in Kaka Nagar, an affluent area within Lutyens' Delhi, for a rehearsal at the Red Fort. In the midst of his hurried exit, he inadvertently left the backdoor ajar. Two and a half hours later, upon his return, he discovered his residence had been burglarized.

Valuables including an Apple iPhone 15 Pro, a OnePlus phone, a diamond ring, and a purse containing Rs 10,000 in cash and bank cards were missing. Additional belongings and documents had also been stolen. The officer promptly notified the police and made a police radio call. The incident occurred in a secure neighborhood, just days before Independence Day celebrations, which caused concern among the New Delhi district police.

The residence in question was a D2 Type-V government quarter allocated to senior officials like the IPS officer, who resided there with his family. According to an official, security guards are stationed in the residential lanes, but not at every individual gate of the government homes.

Police investigators from the Tughlak Road station commenced an examination of CCTV footage from cameras positioned around the area. They also employed technical surveillance to track down the suspect. This led them to Imran, known as Sawan, a resident of Nala Jhuggi in Southeast Delhi's Taimur Nagar. Imran was apprehended near Sarai Kale Khan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police for New Delhi, Sachin Sharma, stated that the recovered items included the two stolen phones, the diamond ring, and other personal belongings. Imran had a history of involvement in six similar theft cases — five within the Nizamuddin area and one in Sunlight Colony. The Tughlak Road police station filed a theft case against the accused and handed him over to Tihar jail.

A police officer explained that Imran had been prowling the area in the early hours of August 11, searching for a residence to target. He unknowingly entered the home of the police officer when he noticed the open backdoor.