The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 32-year-old proclaimed offender, a highly educated man with an M.Phil in Chemistry from Delhi University.
He was underground since he committed two armed robberies at jewellery shops in Model Town. The accused, identified as Deep Shubham, was arrested in Sohna, Haryana, following a coordinated operation by Western Range-II police officials.
Police said the accused is a native of Sitamarhi district in Bihar. He was previously convicted in a sensational bank robbery in Pupri, Bihar, where he used his chemistry knowledge to create a smoke bomb to execute the heist.
DCP (Crime) Harsh Indora said, “The accused combined his scientific knowledge and criminal intent to plan sophisticated robberies. His arrest marks a major success against educated criminals exploiting technical expertise for crime.”
The police have launched his operation after receiving a tip-off that Shubham was hiding in Hari Nagar, Sohna. The team mounted technical surveillance and laid a trap, successfully arresting the accused.
Police said Shubham had been declared a proclaimed offender in two cases, FIR No. 604/2021 and FIR No. 694/2021, both registered at Model Town police station under sections related to robbery and the Arms Act.
The first case involved the robbery of a 24-karat jewellery shop in Gujranwala Town in September 2021. In that case two armed robbers entered the store, threatened the gold expert at gunpoint, and fled with `6.06 lakh and mobile phones. In the second case, registered a month later, Shubham allegedly robbed `70,000 from another branch of the same chain at gunpoint before escaping. Police said after securing bail in these cases, he absconded and frequently changed locations across Delhi, Gurugram, and Bihar to evade arrest.
Shubham completed his BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, followed by an MSc and MPhil from Delhi University. He later cleared CLAT and joined a law university in Andhra Pradesh but dropped out.
Struggling financially and facing family neglect, he worked briefly at a call centre before turning to crime.
In 2017, he single-handedly robbed the Bank of India branch in Pupri, using a homemade smoke bomb made from firecrackers, methyl acetate, and benzene, and fled with `3.6 lakh.
He was arrested later by Bihar Police.
During his imprisonment, he met another criminal, Ritesh Thakur, with whom he later committed the Delhi robberies.
After getting bail, Shubham disappeared and began working as an interior designer in a Sohna-based firm to hide his identity.
Police are investigating possible links with other robberies and associates who helped him during his absconding period.
