Delhi-based Indira Gandhi International Airport police said the Delhi-based man booked flight tickets in his dead brother’s name to steal from passengers and then gave the valuables to a jeweler in Delhi.
A police team at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday arrested a man for stealing jewellery. He has been targeting passengers on trains and planes since 2005.
Police said that Rajesh Kapoor, 40, has been stealing from passengers, mostly targeting elderly women carrying their bags during boarding at the airport. Using the identity of his deceased brother Rishi Kapoor, he travels unnoticed. Police sources said that he often changed seats to be closer to those who stole the goods so as not to arouse suspicion.
2 passengers who went to USA on Air India flights respectively Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. The man was arrested after a series of thefts, including incidents of jewelery worth Rs 20 lakh, were reported. Sudharani Bhaturi’s jewelery was stolen on a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi. Varendrajeet Singh’s valuables were stolen on a flight from Amritsar to the capital Delhi.
In the police’s investigation, CCTV footage from Hyderabad, Delhi and Amritsar airports was thoroughly scrutinized. Kapoor’s presence on both the flights raised the suspicion of the police. When officials traced his number from the airlines, it was found to be a fake number registered in someone else’s name. A technical analysis by the police to find his original phone number revealed that his call record details (CDRs) revealed that he lived in Paharganj and switched on his cell phone for a certain period of time every day.
A photograph of Rajesh Kapoor was later released. Police searched the area. It led the police to his doorstep at the Ricky Deluxe guesthouse he owned. Later, Rajesh Kapoor was arrested. A substantial amount of stolen gold and silver jewelery and other valuables were recovered through his statement, police said.
Additionally, the arrest of Sharad Jain (46) of Karol Bagh revealed his involvement as the recipient of stolen jewelery from Kapoor. Jain’s cooperation led to the recovery of items such as melted gold and diamonds from his jewelry shop, police said.
According to Rajesh Kapoor’s flight records, he has flown more than 200 flights in the last year alone, raising concerns about his involvement in similar cases at various airports in India.
Delhi, Chennai, Rajesh Kapoor has confessed to stealing valuables from the bags of female passengers on several airlines flying to and from various airports in India such as Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai and Amritsar. The police of the concerned airports have been informed along with the list of travel details of the accused,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani.
“Through this, some more cases can be solved in time. The travel history of the accused should also be examined for the past one year to further uncover his involvement in other similar cases. Further, the case is being investigated,” Rangnani added.
