Two men, who snatched cash bag from groom’s father, held after shootout in Noida

The groom’s father Kripa Shankar was carrying a bag of cash. He was also throwing some notes in the air during the procession at Khoda T-Point in Sector 57, when the two suspects snatched his bag and fled the spot

Two persons were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly snatching a bag containing ₹74,000 from the groom’s father during a wedding in Noida Sector 57 on Friday night. The suspects were identified as Sonu alias Sant Kumar, 23, and Rahul Kashyap, 26, residents of Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad.

The spot in Noida’s Sector 57 where the suspects allegedly opened fire at the police team. (Sourced)

Kumar Ranvijay Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, Noida, said the incident took place on the night of November 19 in Khoda Colony. “The marriage procession had come from Badarpur in Delhi. The groom’s father Kripa Shankar was carrying a bag of cash. He was also throwing some notes in the air during the procession at Khoda T-Point in Sector 57. The two suspects snatched Shankar’s bag and fled the spot,” he said.

A case was registered against unknown persons under Section 392 (loot) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 58 police station. The police identified the two suspects involved in the crime using footage from CCTV cameras.

On Tuesday, police received information about the suspects’ movement on a motorcycle in Noida Sector 57. “A police team reached the spot and signalled them to stop for checking. However, the suspects opened fire at the police team and tried to escape,” Singh said. The police returned fire, in which Sonu got injured in the left leg. The police team immediately overpowered and arrested him.

The police recovered two countrymade guns, three live cartridges, one stolen motorcycle without a registration number plate, two mobile phones and ₹52,250 from his possession. The second accomplice Kashyap managed to escape from the spot. However, the police team later arrested him from the neighbourhood.

Police said that in 2017, Sonu allegedly attacked a security guard with a knife in Sector 24 police station area and snatched his mobile phone. In 2019, he and his accomplices kidnapped a taxi driver and murdered him.

The two suspects were produced in court and sent to judicial custody.