The Prince Of Thieves

According to information received by the police, Randhawa was an alcoholic, a drug addict, a daily party-goer, unemployed but with a lot of money to burn. However, his family, anxious about its reputation, had purportedly disowned him. He was kept under surveillance for over two weeks and was finally picked up last week from his apartment. Then, the police claims, the case took an unexpected turn. "During investigations into the Swiss diplomat’s rape, we scanned records and developed local intelligence. Randhawa’s name cropped up," says B.K. Gupta, joint commissioner, crime branch.

The key question is whether Randhawa, who has reportedly admitted to the robbery at the World Trade Tower, is also the man involved in the rape case. According to the police, Randhawa’s cellphone records show that he was in the Siri Fort area on the night of the incident. Is that reason enough to link Randhawa with the rape case? While further investigations are under way, the police are reportedly divided over whether the revelation about the high-profile rape case has been too premature. Coincidentally, it comes at a time when the Swiss President, Pascal Couchepin, is in Delhi on an official visit. But if Randhawa is their man, the Delhi Police could justifiably claim to have solved a practically blind case.