Noida residents robbed of ₹18.7L at gunpoint, 2 held

Police said they robbed ₹7.5 lakh in cash and made the victims transfer ₹11.2 lakh to their friends’ bank accounts via online transactions

Noida Two Kanpur-based men, including a police constable, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly robbing two Noida residents of ₹18.7 lakh at gunpoint with the help of four friends posing as Special Task Force (STF) officers in Sector 76 on the intervening night of April 18 and 19, police said, adding that ₹6 lakh in cash, two laptops, two mobile phones, and two SUVs used in the crime were recovered from their possession.

It was found that around a fortnight back, Ashwin and Rajat had video called their friends Deepanshu and Shobhit in inebriated condition and showed them cash, telling them they had plans to buy a BMW. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Police identified the suspects as Komal Singh, 30, and Arush Tripathi, 33, both residents of Kanpur, adding that Komal is a police constable posted at the police reserve line in Prayagraj but absent for the past year.

“On April 19 around 1am, when complainant Ashwin, a businessman, and Rajat Kumar, a jeweller, originally from Kanpur and resides in Silicon City society, Sector 76, were going out with their Kanpur-based friends Deepanshu and Shobhit in a car, two SUVs (XUV 700 and Scorpio) blocked their car from front and back,” said Noida deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Ram Badan Singh.

“When victims protested, the suspects Komal and three friends (Arush, Gaurav, and Utkarsh) overpowered them posing as STF officers, and said that they received a complaint against them. Utkarsh held Ashwin at gunpoint and directed Rajat to bring cash from his flat,” the DCP added.

Police said they robbed ₹7.5 lakh in cash and made the victims transfer ₹11.2 lakh to their friends’ bank accounts via online transactions. “They also robbed their laptops, mobile phones and after roaming in Noida, Greater Noida and surrounding districts for more than 15 hours in SUVs, they left Ashwin and Rajat near Jewar toll plaza around 4pm,” the DCP added.

On April 20, a friend advised the victims to approach police. “When we investigated the case, it was revealed that around a fortnight back, Ashwin and Rajat had video called their friends Deepanshu and Shobhit in inebriated condition and showed them cash, telling them they had plans to buy a BMW. Both of their friends assumed that they were involved in illegal business and earning black money,” said a senior police official part of the investigation, requesting anonymity.

“Deepanshu and Shobhit joined Komal and Arush to rob that money. As Komal is in police, they asked him to pose as police officer. Gaurav and Utkarsh were added later,” the officer added.

DCP Singh said efforts are underway to nab the other four suspects. “We have recovered ₹6 lakh in cash, two laptops, two mobile phones and two SUVs used in the crime from their possession. A case under BNS sections for dacoity, stolen property, wrongful confinement, causing hurt and criminal intimidation has been registered at Sector 113 police station and further probe is underway,” he said.