An Indian Army personnel has been arrested in Delhi, along with three others, for their involvement in a honey-trap robbery targeting a 72-year-old chartered accountant.
A serving Army personnel was among four people arrested for allegedly honey-trapping, abducting and robbing a 72-year-old chartered accountant from his residence in south Delhi's Sainik Farms area, police said on Wednesday.
The accused allegedly assaulted the elderly man, looted cash, jewellery and documents from his house, abducted him in his own sedan, and later abandoned him near the Delhi-Mumbai Highway in Haryana after failing to extort Rs 50 lakh from him, they said.
Police identified the accused as Surender (31), a resident of Fatehabad in Haryana, Kalpana Kumari (40), a resident of Kalkaji in Delhi, Kuldeep and Sushil, both residents of the Fatehabad district.
According to the police, Surender is a serving Army personnel. He was posted in Mathura but had not reported there, police added.
Police said the victim was allegedly targeted through a honey-trap plan orchestrated by Kalpana, who was known to him.
According to investigators, the victim was alone at his residence in Sainik Farms on the evening of May 2 when he believed Kalpana had come to meet him as planned.
"However, her accomplices allegedly entered the house along with her and overpowered the elderly man, assaulted the victim, restrained him using tape and robbed him of cash, jewellery and important documents," read the statement.
Police said the accused looted Rs 5 lakh kept in an almirah, Rs 8,000-10,000 from a drawer, a purse containing cash, three gold rings, Aadhaar card, driving licence and a credit card.
The accused then allegedly forced him into his sedan and drove towards Meerut for nearly one to one-and-a-half hours, it read.
"During the journey, they demanded Rs 50 lakh ransom from the victim and forced him to contact one of his acquaintances to arrange Rs 15 lakh on the pretext of an accident," a police officer in the statement said.
When the victim failed to arrange the money, the accused abandoned him along with the vehicle near the Delhi-Mumbai Highway under the Firozpur Jhirka police station area in Haryana and fled.
The victim later managed to reach a nearby dhaba and informed the police.
A PCR call regarding the abduction was received at Neb Sarai police station on May 3 following which a case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS pertaining to abduction, robbery, assault and criminal conspiracy.
"After a relentless chase of around 36 hours, two accused -- Kalpana and Surender -- were apprehended from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh," the officer said.
Police said Rs 4 lakh cash and the victim's purse containing the robbed cards were allegedly recovered from them.
During interrogation, police learnt that Kalpana and Surender were divorcees who came in contact through Instagram and later got married at a temple in November 2025. Investigators said the duo subsequently conspired to target the elderly chartered accountant and involved two other accused in the crime.
Police later conducted continuous raids and technical surveillance to trace the remaining accused.
"Raids were conducted in Dhani Sanchla village in Fatehabad district of Haryana and both absconding accused were apprehended on May 11," the officer said.
Police said the remaining robbed cash, gold jewellery, including two gold chains, and other articles were recovered from their possession. Police have recovered the victim's car, cash, jewellery, purse, robbed documents and an air gun allegedly used during the commission of the offence.
With the arrest of all four accused, the entire gang involved in the honey-trap based abduction and robbery case has been busted. Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused were involved in similar crimes earlier, police added.