A man who reported that ₹1.5 crore had been looted from him in Lucknow has been arrested along with four others, police said on Friday, describing the robbery as a planned conspiracy. The five men were arrested in Lucknow and Gujarat, and ₹1.23 crore of the reported amount was recovered.
The complainant, Pragyanesh Kumar, had told police that two motorcycle-borne men robbed him near the Aurangabad underpass in the Ashiyana area on October 24. He had travelled from Mehsana, Gujarat, in a Creta carrying his employer’s money to deliver it to someone, according to the police press note. An FIR was registered at Ashiyana police station on October 25.
Police said their investigation, which included examining CCTV footage and technical evidence, indicated that the robbery had been planned. Two suspects, Sumit Yadav alias Kallu and Satyam, were arrested in Lucknow. They allegedly led investigators to three other suspects in Gujarat, including the complainant.
Police said ₹59 lakh was recovered from the two men arrested in Lucknow and ₹64 lakh from the three arrested in Gujarat. The recovery also included an XUV allegedly used in the crime, a Hero Splendor motorcycle allegedly used by the suspects, and a Pulsar and an iPhone allegedly bought with the stolen money. A country-made pistol, two cartridges, a mobile phone and a gold coin were also seized.