Robbers loot ₹80 lakh with fake pistol of ₹40:Cash stuffed into hoodies and sack; accused say, ‘Wanted to spend money on luxury life girlfriends’

All the accused involved in the Rs 80 lakh robbery at Hotel Kusum Valley on February 3 in Narsinghpur are now behind bars. Police investigation has revealed that the entire robbery was a well-scripted drama, executed using a fake pistol worth Rs 40, a vegetable-cutting knife, and a hammer, all purchased locally. The motive was simple: quick money and a luxurious life. The crime was cracked using CCTV footage, sharp observation by senior officers, and sustained interrogation. Who are the accused? The main accused is hotel night manager Chandresh Rajak. Other accused include: Dainik Bhaskar spoke to ASP Sandeep Bhuria to understand how the conspiracy was planned, executed, and exposed. Story begins 10 days before the robbery To understand the crime, police traced events back 10 days before February 3. Near a park named after former finance minister Ajay Narayan Mushran, stands Hotel Kusum Valley. On the evening of January 24, around 7 pm, hotel owner and colonizer Naveen Agrawal was sitting in his cabin. On the table lay bundles of Rs 500 notes, being counted by four to five people. After counting, one person said, ‘Sir, it’s 80 lakh rupees.’ Naveen made a phone call, saying that arrangements had been completed and registration could be done anytime. He then instructed the hotel staff present to keep the money in the locker. After that, he left in his Fortuner. Among those present during the counting was night manager Chandresh Rajak. The night of the ‘Robbery’ On February 3, Naveen Agrawal had dinner with his family and went to sleep. Around 3 am, he received a call informing him that masked robbers had entered the hotel and looted Rs 80 lakh from the locker. Naveen immediately called Kotwali Police Station in-charge Gaurav Chate and reached the hotel within 20 minutes. Police reached the spot Police swung into action. Station in-charge Gaurav Chate informed SP Dr Hrishikesh Meena. Around 100 policemen, including the SP, reached the hotel. A forensic team began collecting samples. The SP reviewed the CCTV footage. The hotel’s night manager, Chandresh Rajak, was called. A five-minute clip was replayed five times, with key scenes watched repeatedly. While watching the footage, the SP closely observed Chandresh’s expressions. He quietly signaled to the station in-charge. Immediately, the hotel gate was shut, all staff, including Chandresh, were detained, lined up, and by 4:30 am, everyone was taken to the police station. What did the CCTV footage show? The footage showed Chandresh sitting calmly at the reception when a masked man places a pistol at his temple. Soon, two more masked men arrive. They assault Chandresh and other staff. Chandresh points them to the locker. The assailants break it open, stuff bundles of notes into hoodies, then bring a sack to fill the remaining cash. Before leaving, they beat the manager and another employee. They return twice, once to kick them again and again to knock the monitor off the counter, before fleeing. After watching the footage, the SP reportedly remarked, The script is good, but the acting is weak. Manager breaks down during interrogation Initially, Chandresh tried to mislead police. Under strict questioning, he broke down. He admitted that he had seen the Rs 80 lakh being counted on January 24 and had never seen so much money before. Sitting at the reception daily, he kept thinking, ‘There is so much money here, and I have nothing.’ He shared details about the cash with Monu Vanshkar, Anuj Valmiki, and Rakesh Shukla. Together, they planned the robbery. Two minors were also included. They even watched YouTube robbery videos for guidance. The crime was scheduled for February 3 and executed exactly like the videos. Dumping the cash As per the plan, after looting the locker, Monu, Anuj, Rakesh, and others reached near Raptapul. Chandresh stayed back and himself informed hotel owner Naveen. Some money was distributed among the accused. The remaining amount was filled in a sack and buried in garbage near the bridge. Fake weapons shock police When questioned about the weapons, the accused initially claimed they were real. Later, police discovered: All were bought from Narsinghpur market and cleverly shown on camera to appear real. Reconnaissance before crime Police revealed that the accused had been surveying the hotel since January 25, checking CCTV locations and escape routes. Based on Chandresh’s information, police recovered bundles of cash from near the bridge. Rs 50,000 was recovered from Akhilesh, while Rs 28,000 and Rs 30,000 were recovered from the two minors. So far, around Rs 76 lakh has been recovered. Hotel owner’s regret Hotel owner Naveen Agrawal said one mistake proved costly. Earlier, he ensured full background verification of employees. Chandresh had been working for three months, but due to work pressure, verification was skipped. Chandresh earned Rs 12,500 per month. An emergency alarm was installed at the counter, and 16 staff members were present that night—but Chandresh never pressed the alarm.