Police make 3rd arrest in ₹18.7L robbery in Sector 113, Noida

Police had earlier arrested two suspects, Komal Singh, 30, a police constable absent from duty for the past year, and Arush Tripathi, 33, both residents of Kanpur, officers said

Noida: A 29-year-old Kanpur resident was arrested in a robbery case of Sector 113, Noida, in which two businessmen were allegedly robbed on the intervening night of April 18 and 19 by six men impersonating police officers, Noida police said on Sunday, adding that it is the third arrest in the case.

Police said the suspects robbed ₹7.5 lakh in cash and forcefully made them transfer ₹11.2 lakh to their friends’ bank accounts via online transactions. (HT Photos)

“On Saturday evening we received a tip-off that suspect Shobhit Rajput, a resident of Kanpur involved in a ₹18.7 lakh robbery, had come to visit one of his friends’ home near the Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad (FNG) Expressway. A team was dispatched and the suspect was arrested,” said Sector 113 police station’s station house officer (SHO) Krishna Gopal Sharma.

Police had earlier arrested two suspects, Komal Singh, 30, a police constable absent from duty for the past year, and Arush Tripathi, 33, both residents of Kanpur, officers said.

The robbery occurred on April 19 around 1am, when complainant Ashwin (single name), a businessman, resident of Sector 76, and Rajat Kumar, a jeweller originally from Kanpur and resides in Silicon City society in Sector 76, Noida, were going out with their Kanpur-based friends Deepanshu and Shobhit (both single names) 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.

“On protesting, the suspects Komal and three friends Arush, Gaurav and Utkarsh overpowered them posing as STF (special task force), claiming that they got a complaint against them. Utkarsh held Ashwin at gunpoint and directed Rajat to bring cash, kept in his flat,” the DCP added.

Police said they robbed ₹7.5 lakh in cash and forcefully made them 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 the advice of a friend, the victims later informed the police.

A senior officer requesting anonymity said that investigation found that about a fortnight ago Ashwin and Rajat, in an inebriated condition, had shown their cash to the friends Deepanshu and Shobhit, while also sharing their plan to buy a BMW car.

“Deepanshu and Shobhit, however, opted to join Komal and Arush for robbing the money. As Komal is in the police, they asked him to pose as a police officer. Gaurav and Utkarsh were added later,” the officer added.

A case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for dacoity, stolen property, wrongful confinement, causing hurt and criminal intimidation has been registered at Sector 113 police station and investigation is underway to nab the remaining three absconders, police added.