Lucknow: A serving Uttar Pradesh Police constable was arrested for his alleged role in a robbery and kidnapping case after luring victims with the promise of doubling their investment, while a CRPF sub-inspector identified as a key conspirator remains absconding, police said on Saturday.
Constable Puran Singh, posted at Chinhat police station, was among four accused arrested by a joint team of Chinhat police and the East Zone surveillance unit. The gang allegedly lured victims with promises of doubling their investment in a short span and then robbed them during staged meetings.
The case came to light after property dealer Prabhakar Singh filed a complaint on June 11, alleging that his brother, Divakar Singh, and friend, Anoop Shukla, were offered unusually high returns on an investment of Rs 5 lakh. The duo was asked to bring the cash to a designated spot, where they were allegedly assaulted, threatened, robbed and briefly kidnapped before being abandoned by the roadside near Chinhat.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Jai Prakash Yadav, Anand Dubey and four unidentified associates under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
DCP (East) Deeksha Sharma, who supervised the investigation, said surveillance inputs led to the arrest of Javed Hussain, 33, and Asif, 34, both from Gorakhpur; Pravesh Tripathi, 34, from Sant Kabir Nagar; and Puran Singh, 29, a Rajasthan resident posted with the UP Police. "The accused were nabbed near Hardasikheda canal bridge on Friday night. Police recovered Rs 1.25 lakh and two cars from their possession," Sharma said.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that they operated as an organised syndicate targeting people seeking quick returns. "They would call victims to meetings and intimidate them by posing as personnel from the police or other law enforcement agencies," the DCP added.
Police said Puran Singh's role as an insider came to light during the investigation. Jai Prakash Yadav, identified as a CRPF sub-inspector, along with co-accused Anand Dubey, is absconding.
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