Jeweller robbed on UP highway, 2 cops among 4 held, say police

One constable, said to be the key conspirator, and two others, also accused in the case, are on the run, police said

Two policemen and four others were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat district on Friday for allegedly looting 50kg of silver, worth ₹ 38 lakh, from a Banda jeweler’s car, while he was driving on the Bundelkhand Expressway on Tuesday, police said.

Earlier a case had been registered under sections 379 (theft) and 420 (fraud) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unknown people, including two men in police uniforms (File photo)

One constable, said to be the key conspirator, and two others, also accused in the case, are on the run, police said.

A press release by the UP Police said those arrested include Kanpur Dehat’s Bhoganipur police station incharge inspector Ajay Pal Singh Katheria, sub inspector of the same police station Chintan Kaushisk and four other people – including a former employee of the jeweler, Sanjay Chikwa, and Chikwa’s (friends Jamaludeen Sheikh, Rafat Khan and Rakesh Dixit. Cops also recovered 30 silver bars, weighing around 50kg, from sub-inspector Kaushik’s house, police said. The vehicle and the rifle used to commit the crime were also recovered from the accused, police said.

“Three more people -- including Bhoganipur police station head constable Ram Shankar Yadav – and Tajudeen and Gabbu were also allegedly involved in the incident and are on the run. Police investigation suggests that the head constable was the key conspirator and planned the loot after getting information about the jeweler’s movement from Chikwa, who was sacked by the jeweler earlier this year. The head constable roped in inspector incharge and sub inspector in the scheme,” the press release said.

“The jeweler, Manish Soni, was looted when he, his cousin Ravi Soni, Ravi’s wife Sonali and daughter Aashi were travelling in a car from Banda to Aurraiya at 2.30pm on Tuesday. Four people, including two men in police uniforms driving an SUV intercepted their vehicle on the pretext of conducting checking and took the 50kg of silver bars he had in his car. The accused also detained the jeweler’s driver Jagnandan Pal for “further questioning” and then later abandoned him on a deserted stretch after thrashing him,” said the press note.

The cops were under the impression that the jeweler was moving the silver from Banda to Aurraiya without proper documentation, and hence he would not approach the local police to register a first information report (FIR) in case of theft, said police.

Earlier a case had been registered under sections 379 (theft) and 420 (fraud) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unknown people, including two men in police uniforms.

Aurraiya superintendent of police (SP) Charu Nigam said, sections of 394(loot) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) under the IPC will be added now that there is proof of involvement of cops in the crime. “The report on suspension and departmental enquiry against the three cops involved in the incident has been forwarded to the SP of Kanpur Dehat,” said Nigam. DGP Vijay Kumar said the process of termination from service would be initiated against three cops involved in the incident.