Lucknow Police Apprehend Mobile Snatcher Following Brief Encounter
In a swift operation, Lucknow police arrested a 22-year-old man accused in a mobile snatching case after a brief encounter. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Nipun Agarwal confirmed the arrest, detailing the events that led to the suspect's capture.
Incident Details and Police Response
The incident occurred on March 20, when a mobile phone was snatched from Preeti Singh, a security guard. Acting promptly on her complaint, police registered a case and formed a dedicated team to trace the accused. The investigation quickly gained momentum as officers pursued leads in the case.
"On March 20th, a mobile snatching incident occurred involving a woman named Preeti Singh, who works as a security guard. The police immediately filed a complaint and formed a team to arrest the accused," stated DCP Agarwal.
Encounter and Arrest
On the day of the arrest, near Sector 15, Nehar Road, close to PGI, the 22-year-old suspect was spotted by police. When officers signaled him to stop, he responded by opening fire on the police team. During the ensuing exchange of fire, the suspect was shot in the leg and subsequently taken into custody. He has since confessed to the robbery.
From the accused, identified as Arjun Rawat, police recovered:
- A stolen mobile phone
- A Pulsar bike
- A .315 bore pistol
Rawat is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. Authorities revealed that he has roughly half a dozen cases against him, including involvement in residential robberies since 2015 and links to a gangster case. Further investigation is underway.
Separate Agra Robbery Case Leads to Arrests
In a related development, three persons accused of robbing a jeweller were arrested after an encounter with police in Agra. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lohamandi) Gaurav Singh provided details of the incident.
"A robbery involving the snatching of gold jewellery from a jeweller recently occurred within the jurisdiction of the Jagdishpur Police Station. Following the incident, multiple teams were deployed to solve the case," said ACP Singh.
Acting on credible intelligence, police spotted an unidentified motorcycle near the Patholi-Bichpuri canal. When signaled to stop, the three individuals on board accelerated toward officers before diverting onto a different route. The police gave chase, during which the suspects opened fire. In self-defence, police returned fire, resulting in one suspect sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the March 17 robbery. They have been identified as Rohit, Ankit, and Prince. Recoveries included:
- An illegal country-made pistol from Rohit's possession
- The Apache motorcycle used in the robbery, which had been stolen during the original incident
- The snatched jewellery
Legal proceedings are currently underway in this case.
Previous Lucknow Incident
Meanwhile, police referenced another recent case from February 21, where an accused was arrested after opening fire at police during a vehicle check. The man, riding a motorcycle without a number plate, was injured in the leg during the encounter and taken into custody.
"On 17 February, an incident of chain snatching occurred with a woman named Rita Jha. We immediately formed teams. A man was riding a bike without a number plate today. When the police tried to stop him, he began firing," explained DCP Agarwal.
Police recovered a .315 bore pistol and a chain from his possession. During interrogation, he confessed to the February 17 chain snatching incident. Cases under serious sections like rape and extortion are registered against him, adding to the pattern of criminal activity being addressed by law enforcement in the region.
