In a landmark development for Uttar Pradesh's law enforcement, Lucknow Police has created legal history by invoking Section 111(2)(B) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for the first time in the state. This unprecedented move comes after investigators uncovered a highly sophisticated criminal syndicate behind a daring daylight dacoity that occurred on March 28 in Vikasnagar area.
The Digital Trail: WhatsApp Chats Expose Criminal Network
The breakthrough in the case emerged from an extraordinary digital forensic investigation that recovered a staggering 2.82 lakh pages of WhatsApp conversations from mobile phones seized from the accused. According to Investigating Officer Alok Singh, the forensic science laboratory successfully extracted this massive volume of data, which revealed the existence of a WhatsApp group named "GG – Good Gang" used for meticulous criminal planning.
This digital evidence exposed how the gang utilized the messaging platform for detailed planning, surveillance operations, role allocation, and escape-route coordination. The comprehensive chat analysis provided investigators with a complete blueprint of the criminal operation, marking a significant advancement in digital crime investigation techniques.
The Daylight Dacoity and Investigation Breakthrough
The case centers around a bold robbery committed on March 28 when Amit Saini, a cashier at a jewellery store in Chowk, was targeted while returning after collecting payments worth Rs 6.8 lakh from trader Kinker Gupta in Vikasnagar. Two bike-borne assailants executed the crime and fled through congested lanes, initially leaving investigators with limited leads.
However, the investigation took a dramatic turn when police and Special Task Force (STF) personnel began making arrests. To date, 11 members of the criminal gang have been apprehended, including:
- Vaibhav Singh
- Gaurav
- Sushil
- Satish Singh
- Anuj Maurya
- Prem Bahadur Singh
- Sonendra Singh
- Gaurav Mishra
- Sushil Mishra
- Mohit Yadav
- Samrat Shivam Dixit alias Pandit
The most recent arrest occurred on Saturday when Samrat Shivam Dixit, a 25-year-old with a non-bailable warrant and Rs 10,000 reward on his head, was captured after months of evasion. Police revealed that Dixit provided his SUV for the criminal operation, operating under the assumption that the victim carried large cash amounts and would avoid filing formal complaints.
Advanced Investigation Techniques and Legal Implications
The investigation employed cutting-edge technology, with officers examining over 500 CCTV feeds and utilizing AI-based facial recognition systems to identify suspects Satish and Anuj. According to Vikasnagar SHO Alok Singh, the AI-based FSL identification proved so accurate that it superseded the traditional Test Identification Parade (TIP) method.
Dixit's arrest came after sustained technical surveillance finally traced him to Tila Shahbazpur in Loni, Ghaziabad, where he had been constantly changing hideouts to avoid capture. Police confirmed that all arrested accused are now in judicial custody and the looted money was intended to be split among gang members.
This case marks the first application of BNS 111(2)(B) for organized dacoity in Uttar Pradesh, setting a significant legal precedent for handling sophisticated criminal networks in the digital age. The successful integration of traditional policing with advanced digital forensics demonstrates a new era in crime investigation methodology.
