₹85 lakh Shastri Park robbery mastermind Ajay alias Kaliya arrested after gunfight with Delhi Police

A man accused of masterminding the ₹85 lakh armed robbery in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park and linked to a previous murder case was arrested after a brief gunfight with Delhi Police in central Delhi’s IP Estate area , officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, Ajay alias Kaliya (34) , a resident of Usmanpur, allegedly led a gang of four to five criminals and was identified as the main conspirator behind the robbery , police said. He was apprehended by the Special Staff of the Central District after a late-night operation based on specific intelligence inputs.

According to police, the team received information around 10 pm on March 23 that the accused would reach the Rose Garden service road on MG Road around midnight on a scooter to meet his associates and possibly plan another crime. Acting on the tip-off, officers laid a trap in the area.

At about 12.22 am , Ajay was seen approaching the location on a grey scooter. When police signalled him to stop, he allegedly tried to flee but was quickly surrounded. The accused then abandoned his scooter and opened fire at the police team , allegedly firing multiple rounds. One bullet struck the bulletproof jacket of an inspector , narrowly preventing injury.

Police retaliated in self-defence , shooting the accused in the leg before overpowering and arresting him . He was later taken to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital for treatment under police supervision.

During the operation, officers recovered an illegal pistol, live cartridges and empty shells from his possession. The scooter he was riding was later found to be stolen from the Malviya Nagar area , and a mobile phone was also seized, police said.

Police said Ajay is a habitual offender involved in several criminal cases , including robbery, murder, theft and violations of the Arms Act in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. A fresh case has been registered at IP Estate police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act , and efforts are underway to trace his associates.

The arrest is linked to the February armed robbery in Shastri Park , where three motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted employees of a cash-disbursing firm transporting about ₹85 lakh , fired shots and fled with the cash after injuring one of the victims. Police had launched a major investigation, scanning CCTV footage and forming special teams to track the suspects.

Investigators are now questioning Ajay to identify other gang members and determine his role in the robbery as well as other criminal cases in the region.