New Delhi: The suspects in the Golf Links heist remain at large, with police believing they may have fled the city. Sources said the accused escaped in a light grey SUV fitted with a fake number plate, parked a short distance from the house.Police said the gang carried out a recce before the crime. “They were aware that the lane leading to the house was not adequately covered by CCTV cameras and that the entrance also lacked surveillance,” a source said.The prime accused, Sushil, a house help, is believed to be the mastermind. Police said he knew that only the businessman’s wife had his contact details and therefore, specifically took her phone during the robbery.Sources said the house had two entry points. While the family did not allow anyone to use the back door, Sushil was familiar with it. The accused allegedly entered through the main gate with his assistance and escaped through the rear gate.At the time of the incident, businessman Ashok Chawla, his wife, their daughter-in-law and her son were inside the house. Locals claimed that the robbers manhandled the family. His wife reportedly suffered bruises near her eyes. When TOI contacted the family, they declined to comment.
Police said the gang comprised six members, including Sushil. “Sushil was inside the house, while the remaining five gathered nearby around half an hour earlier. They arrived in smaller groups to avoid suspicion,” a source said.Investigators said the robbers were aware that vehicles entering the lane were rarely questioned or recorded. Following the incident, security in the area has been tightened. A resident said guards are now noting visitors’ phone numbers, vehicle details and the houses they intend to visit.One employee at Chawla’s residence said Sushil had been evasive when asked for his phone number. “He would avoid the question and say he would share it later,” the employee said.Sushil had joined barely a week before the incident. Sources said the family’s previous help returned to his village in Bihar, sent a replacement who worked briefly, and then recommended Sushil. Police are likely to question both former employees.Claims that a delivery boy rang the doorbell during the robbery, prompting the gang to flee, have not been substantiated, police said.Chawla’s son, who was near the Moolchand red light at the time, rushed home after receiving a phone call about the robbery and broke open the gate with the help of a friend.A senior police officer said raids are being conducted at multiple locations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and checks have been intensified at bus terminals and railway stations. Police are also tracking the accused’s associates and movements.
