Delhi: Man arrested for carrying out thefts in hospitals across four cities; stolen items recovered

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): Delhi Police has arrested a man who was allegedly involved in a series of thefts from hospitals across multiple cities in the country, an official statement said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Vikas (31), was apprehended by the Anti-Narcotics Squad (ANS) of South-East District.
According to police, the accused carried out thefts in the NCR, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune, leading to the recovery of multiple stolen items and solving several cases registered against him across states.
The arrest followed a complaint filed on April 10 by a staff member of Apollo Hospital, who reported that a laptop and mobile phone were stolen from Room No. 1110, Oncology OPD, during doctor rounds. An e-FIR was registered under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at PS Sarita Vihar.
Police said that more than 400 CCTV clips were reviewed from the hospital and surrounding areas. The suspect was seen at the hospital and was later traced to a hotel in Paharganj, Delhi. Through a combination of technical analysis and manual surveillance, the accused was identified as Vikas, a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, holding a B.Tech in Computer Science from MIT, Pune.
Police said the accused arrived in Delhi on April 8 with the intention to commit theft and was arrested on April 14 from Paharganj.
During interrogation, Vikas admitted to similar thefts at Manipal Hospital in Dwarka, Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj, and MAX Super Speciality Hospital in Sector 128, Noida.
Recovered items include four laptops, one mobile phone, a set of Apple AirPods, a pair of goggles, Rs 6100 in cash, and a forged bill book allegedly used to create false invoices for selling stolen goods, police said.
According to DCP South-East Delhi, Ravi Kumar Singh, the accused, stated he began targeting hospitals following a dispute over medical bills at a Pune hospital in 2021. He claimed that the refusal of a COVID-19 treatment discount led to financial strain and prompted him to carry out these thefts.
Before coming to Delhi, Vikas spent 21 days in Jaipur, during which he committed thefts in hospitals using the same approach. He has previous involvement in at least six theft cases in Pune and Mumbai, police said.
Police said the arrest is part of ongoing efforts against intercity theft networks. Hospitals have been advised to enhance internal surveillance and monitor movement in outpatient areas.
Further investigations are underway. (ANI)