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Dacoity after holding trader, 2 sisters hostage in Barabanki
Five assailants stayed at the house for over 3 hours, then decamped with around 80 kg of silver, gold, and cash worth over ₹one crore, packed in six bags.
Five armed assailants robbed silver, gold, cash and other valuables worth crores after storming into the shop-cum-residence of a money lender and utensils shop owner in Tikaitganj market under the jurisdiction of the Kursi police station in Barabanki on late Monday night, as confirmed by senior police officials on Tuesday.
The officials stated that the robbers held a family of three, including the shop owner Shiv Kumar Nigam, 53, and his two unmarried sisters at gunpoint, staying for around three hours before fleeing with the stolen valuables stuffed in six bags. Nigam is involved in money lending, accepting silver and gold as collateral and operates a utensils shop in the front portion of his house. Additionally, Nigam himself has a criminal record with six cases registered against him in 2007, involving offenses such as dacoity, loot, theft, gangster activities and violations of the arms act.
Barabanki’s additional superintendent of police (ASP), North, Chiranjeev Nath Sinha, said that an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 395 for dacoity has been registered against unidentified assailants based on the complaint of the shop owner. The matter is under further investigation. “We are scanning the footage of CCTVs installed in the vicinity and trying to track the criminals,” he emphasized, adding “The police are also trying to find out whether the incident has anything to do with previous criminal background”.
The ASP added that the victims reported that two assailants approached Shiv Kumar Nigam when he was alone in the shop, which is located in front of his residence. Two workers from his utensils shop had left a few minutes earlier around 7:30 pm on Monday.
According to ASP, the assailants requested some utensils, luring Nigam into purchasing major items. When Nigam showed reluctance and asked them to return when workers were present on Tuesday, three more assailants joined the initial two, entered the shop, and took Nigam at gunpoint, subsequently entering the house and holding his two sisters hostage.
Sharing further details, Shiv Kumar Nigam told media persons that the assailants held one of his sisters Laxmi with the rope and threatened to hang her to death and extracted details about valuables and cash present in the house. He said the assailants remained in the house for around three hours and completely ransacked the entire house to search for valuables and cash and fled after locking them inside the house. It was around 10.45 pm when neighbours freed us after listening to our screams and then the police were informed, he added.
The ASP further stated that four separate teams have been formed to work out the case at the earliest. He said the assailants’ modus-operandi suggested that they were aware of the daily routine of the shop owner and also aware about so many valuables present in the house.
