Four members of Odisha-based gang held for looting Lucknow jeweller

The gang had looted gold and silver from a jeweller in Gudamba area late on December 13 night at gunpoint when the jeweler was returning home after closing his shop.

The Lucknow Police on Monday arrested four members of an Odisha-based Pradhan gang involved in looting a jeweller in the state capital and recovered gold, silver ornaments, illegal firearm, cartridges, two motorcycles and ₹30,462 cash from them.

The arrest was made from a location near Barabanki. (FOR REPRESENTATION )

Those arrested are Deepak Pradhan, Aryan Pradhan, Bhola Pradhan and Arjun Pradhan—all natives of Ganjam and Jajpur districts of Odisha. The arrest was made from a location near Barabanki.

The gang had looted gold and silver from a jeweller in Gudamba area late on December 13 night at gunpoint when the jeweler was returning home after closing his shop. Qasim Abidi, deputy commissioner of police, Lucknow North, said the gang members belonged to Odisha and were active in Lucknow and Kanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The gang used to sell looted gold and silver in districts across the state, including Prayagraj, Kanpur and also in Odisha, said Abidi. In the state capital, the gang was residing at a rented house in Chinhat area. After executing the crime in Lucknow on December 13, the gang left for Kanpur where they carried out two loots for which FIRs were lodged at Chakeri and Naubasta police stations, Kanpur, he added.

The Lucknow police are probing the case and looking for other gang members. Cops are also contacting their counterparts in Odisha to trace other members of the gang. During initial probe, it came to light that the gang used to travel from Odisha to Jharkhand by road on their motorbikes. From Jharkhand to Prayagraj, the gang used top travel by bus along with their motorcycles. The gang members would then cover the distance from Prayagraj to Lucknow on their motorcycles.