The Delhi Police has arrested a 38-year-old former civil defence employee who impersonated a "courier boy" and allegedly tried to rob her neighbour in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area, an officer said on Wednesday.

Police recovered a courier bag, one toy pistol, gloves, two ropes, an umbrella, and a helmet from the possession of the accused, identified as Rekha, a resident of Somesh Vihar in Chhawla.

According to police, Rekha, a former civil defence worker, had been unemployed for some time and was finding it tough to run her household.

On May 23, police got a call regarding an attempted robbery.

The complainant reported that around 11.30 am, a courier boy came to her house and asked for a pen to sign on a delivery paper, a senior police officer said.

She said that when she went inside to get the pen, the person followed her caught her and hit her several times with the toy pistol that made her face bleed, the officer said.

The victim said the person had his face covered with a towel and was wearing a helmet and gloves in his hands.

The person, however, had to flee when the complainant shouted for help, the officer said.

On May 24, police got information that the accused was hiding in Somesh vihar.

Later, on the basis of this CCTV footage, Rekha was arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said.

According to Singh, Rekha zeroed-in on the woman in her neighbourhood for she was rich and stayed alone during the day.

As per the plan, on May 23, she disguised herself as a courier boy, covering her face with a towel and wearing a helmet. She carried a toy pistol, gloves, rope and clothes in her backpack, a courier bag in her hand, and an umbrella over her head, they said.

After her plan to rob the woman scuppered, she ran away and changed her clothes on the stairs of a neighbouring house, police said.

After some time, she returned to the victim's house and joined the people gathered there so that no one could suspect her, they said.

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