In a shocking case of impersonation and robbery, five men were arrested in Bulandshahr for allegedly posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and looting cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs 50 lakh from a local trader's residence. The incident, which took place in December, was cracked by police using crucial CCTV evidence and a lead pointing to a former household servant.
The Deceptive Robbery
The crime unfolded on December 19, around 9 am, in the Pokhar locality under the Anupshahr police station. The gang targeted the home of Shankar Bhagwan Agarwal (51), a construction material trader. Posing as CBI officials, they claimed they had arrived to serve a notice, thereby gaining easy entry into the house.
Once inside, the situation turned violent. The robbers threatened Agarwal's family at gunpoint. They tied up the occupants, which included Agarwal's wife, daughter-in-law, and two minor children. To further terrorise the family and prevent resistance, the criminals falsely claimed that they had taken Agarwal's son, Abhishek (25), into custody. They threatened to shoot him dead if the family did not cooperate.
After immobilising the family, the gang ransacked the house and fled with a significant haul of valuables and cash.
Police Crack the Case
The breakthrough in the investigation came from surveillance footage. "The thieves were captured on a nearby CCTV, and this helped police track and apprehend the criminals," stated SSP Dinesh Kumar. A coordinated police effort led to the arrest of the accused on Wednesday.
Police confirmed the recovery of the stolen property, which included 280 grams of gold, some silver ornaments, and Rs 13.5 lakh in cash, totalling nearly Rs 50 lakh in value.
Investigations revealed a crucial insider link. Sanjay Sharma, a former servant in the Agarwal household, was identified as the informant. He knew about the valuables stored in the house and tipped off the gang. Sharma had previously been jailed in an assault case, where he met hardened criminals like Rakesh Yadav and Yashpal alias Raja Yadav. He informed them that cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs 1 crore were kept at the trader's house.
Criminal History and Rewards
The police detailed the gang's modus operandi. After the core members came out on bail in September 2025, they conducted a reconnaissance of the area before executing the planned robbery.
The arrested accused have been named as Inderpal alias Tau, Rakesh Kumar, Sachin Kumar (all from Aligarh), Sanjay Sharma, and Yashpal (from Bulandshahr). SP (Rural) Tejveer Singh highlighted that Inderpal is a notorious criminal with over two dozen cases of loot, dacoity, and attempt to murder registered against him in districts including Surat, Delhi, Mathura, Bulandshahr, and Faridabad.
For successfully solving the high-profile case, DGP Rajeev Krishna and Meerut zone ADG Bhanu Bhaskar announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each for the police team, recognising their diligent work.
