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Tech helps Lucknow cops crack chain-snatching, murder case; one accused nabbed
Mobile numbers around crime spot scanned; footage from over 500 cameras lead police to identify numberless bike of the accused
LUCKNOW The Lucknow Police on Thursday solved the gripping chain-snatching case that claimed the life of Atul Jain, 42, in Jankipuram last week. The investigation, which spanned five days and leveraged both advanced technology and coordinated police work, culminated in the capture of one of the accused, Arvind Kumar, 27, after an encounter in Gudamba, while his accomplice fled, said officials.
The incident unfolded on September 20, when two men on a white motorcycle attempted to snatch Jain’s gold chain near a number four intersection. Jain, attempting to recover his belonging, pursued the men on his scooter. According to eyewitnesses, two other youths on another motorcycle, believed to be the snatchers’ accomplices, intercepted Jain, allegedly kicking his scooter and causing him to crash. Jain sustained fatal injuries as a result.
An FIR was registered under Sections 281 (rash or negligent driving), 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) against the accused.
Following a tip-off, the police laid a trap in Rajauli village on Thursday. When officers stopped a suspicious bike, the pillion rider, Arvind Kumar, opened fire. Police returned fire, injuring and apprehending Kumar, while his alleged accomplice, Sanjay Yadav, escaped, said DCP Shashank Singh. Authorities recovered a country-made pistol, ammunition, ₹65,200 in cash, the numberless motorcycle used in the crime, and a broken gold chain believed to belong to the victim. After the encounter, the accused was booked under Section 109 (1) (attempt to murder) of the BNS and sections 3, 25, 27 of the Arm Act.
“What made the investigation extraordinary was the way technology was used to overcome weak evidence,” said DCP East.
According to Lucknow Police, a mobile data analysis was done wherein thousands of mobile numbers around the crime spot were scanned; suspicious numbers gave the first breakthrough. Then, CCTV surveillance was used as footage from over 500 cameras across Lucknow helped police identify the white bike. Informants’ network was also used to get leads from the ground and were cross-verified with digital evidence to zero in on suspects.
The motorcycle carried no number plate, complicating tracking. The suspects kept moving across different police zones, leading to joint operations. Also, the CCTV and mobile evidence were thin and fragmented. The duo frequently changed phones and hideouts to mislead the police. Despite these hurdles, teams from Crime Branch, DCP (north) and (East), Gudamba and Jankipuram police stations coordinated seamlessly to crack the case.
Arvind confessed that he and Sanjay had snatched Jain’s chain. When Jain resisted, they deliberately knocked him down, causing his death.
Arvind Kumar of Sitapur has multiple cases of theft, fraud and murder against him at Gudamba and BKT police stations.
