Inspector, S-I among 6 arrested for 50 kg silver loot

A police head constable, allegedly the key conspirator and two others are still at large. The silver looted from a Banda jeweller was recovered from the S-I’s room

Lucknow Six people, including inspector in-charge of a Kanpur Dehat police station and a sub-inspector of the same police station were arrested by the Aurraiya police in connection with the loot of 50 kg of silver from a Banda jeweller while he was travelling in his car from Banda to Aurraiya on Bundelkhand Expressway on Tuesday.

The SUV and rifle used to commit the crime were also recovered from the accused. (Pic for representation)

The press note from UP police stated that those arrested included Kanpur Dehat’s Bhoganipur police station inspector-in charge Ajay Pal Singh Katheria, sub-inspector Chintan Kaushik of the same police station and four other people, including the jeweller’s ex-employee Sanjay Chikwa alias Sanjay Topi, his friends Jamaludeen Sheikh alias Jameel Sheikh, Rafat Khan and Rakesh Dixit. The police also recovered 30 silver bars weighing around 50 kg from the room of sub-inspector Chintan Kaushik. The SUV and rifle used to commit the crime were also recovered from the accused.

It added that three more people, including head constable of Bhoganipur police station Ram Shankar Yadav and Tajudeen alias Baddu and Gabbu were also allegedly involved in the incident and were presently on the run. The police investigation revealed that the head constable was the key conspirator and planned the loot after getting information about the jeweller’s movement with silver from Sanjay Chikwa, who was sacked by the jeweller earlier this year. The head constable roped in the inspector in-charge and a sub-inspector.

The police said the inspector and the sub-inspector were under the impression that the jeweller was carrying the silver without proper documents, so he would not approach the local police to register an FIR. The inspector delayed distribution of silver among all accused after coming to know that the jeweller had lodged an FIR at Aurraiya city police station. He had planned to distribute the silver on Friday when the Aurraiya police arrested him and the others.

The FIR was initially lodged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 379 for theft and 420 for fraud against unknown people, including two in police uniforms. Aurraiya superintendent of police (SP) Charu Nigam said the IPC sections of loot and criminal conspiracy as well as other severe sections would added into the FIR after it was discovered that cops were involved in the incident.

The note stated that Manish Soni alias Sagar of Banda district was robbed when he along with his cousin Ravi Soni, his wife Sonali and daughter Aashi was travelling in a car on Bundelkhand Express from Banda to Aurraiya at around 2.30 pm on Tuesday. Four people, including two men in police uniforms riding in an SUV intercepted their vehicle and on the pretext of checking, took 50 kilogrammes of silver that he had with him. The accused also took along the jeweller’s driver Jagnandan Pal on the pretext of further enquiry and later left him on a deserted stretch after thrashing him.

The SP said the loot was executed by the sub-inspector and the head constable along with Jamaludeen and Tajudeen and three others, including Sanjay Topi, the informer in the incident, were travelling in a separate car behind the jeweller’s car while the inspector coordinated with them over phone. She said the report regarding the suspension and departmental enquiry against the three cops involved in the incident had been sent to the SP of Kanpur Dehat.