Mitali Palnitkar
Published On: February 19, 2022 at 15:53 IST
On February 18, three Accused including suspended IPS Officer Dheeraj Setia were proclaimed as Offenders by a District Court in the Gurgaon multi-crore heist case.
Additional Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat declared the three Accused persons namely gangster Vikas Lagarpuria, son of Surender, Dheeraj Setia, and Chetan Maan alias Boxer as Proclaimed Offenders under Section 82(4) of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Lagarpuria is believed to have executed the heist and is suspected to be hiding abroad. According to the Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF) probing the Case, Chetan is a part of Lagarpuria’s gang.
The STF was directed by the Court to provide the details of properties of the Accused at the next Hearing. The Court stated that further Proceedings shall be initiated against the Accused persons under Section 83 CrPC for attachment of their properties so as to secure their presence before the Court.
When the theft was committed, Setia was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Gurgaon. He was suspended on December 10, 2021 after allegations of Bribery against him.
In a statement made before the Police, the alleged mastermind of the heist Dr Sachinder Kumar Nawal claimed that he had given a bag containing 3 kg gold bricks, 1, 35,000 US Dollars and Rs 62, 000 to Setia at his house for covering up the Case in September 2021.
On February 18, a status report was filed by the STF before the Court in compliance with another Court’s Order passed in January 2021. In the report, it was stated that efforts were being taken to find out the information about the source of the Complainant Company’s stolen money.
The Court stated, “It is submitted in the status report that STF has asked to provide the statement of the persons recorded by the Directorate of Enforcement; Zonal Office, Gurugram; and Assistant Directorate of Income Tax, Gurugram to get the source of the cash kept by the Complainant Company in the alleged flat where the theft was committed.”
Setia’s Counsel filed an Application not to pass any adverse Order against Setia as he filed an Application for Anticipatory Bail before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and another Petition under Section 482 CrPC for quashing of Orders passed in the Proceedings. However, the Application was declined by the Court stating that “No substance” was found in it.
So far, the Police Probe found that on August 3 and August 4, 2021, almost Rs 30 crores was stolen from the office-cum-flat of Alpha G Corp Management Services Private Limited in Sector 84.