Police in the Barra area of the city have solved a major theft case involving nearly Rs15 lakh, arresting four accused who allegedly spent the stolen money on luxury items, including mobile phones, a sports bike, and a trip to Manali.
According to DCP South Deependra Nath Chaudhary, the arrests were made early Monday morning near Patrasa bridge using CCTV footage and surveillance inputs. The accused have been identified as Prakash Gautam from Barra village, Ishu Gautam, Abhishek Gautam from Ravidaspuram, and Ajay Rajput from Gujjaini. Another suspect, Robin, is currently absconding, and police teams are actively searching for him.
During the operation, police recovered stolen jewellery, cash, and foreign currency, including 81 US dollars and 15 dirhams, from the accused.
Investigators revealed that the accused used part of the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle. They reportedly purchased an old sports bike worth Rs4.5 lakh for Rs1.5 lakh, bought expensive mobile phones, and later went on a leisure trip to Manali.
The case was registered following a complaint by Satish Pandey, a marketing manager and resident of Barra-8. He had left for Lucknow on January 12 with his family, leaving the house locked for about 20 days. Upon returning after February 1, they found the lock broken and valuables, including jewellery worth around Rs15 lakh, missing.
Based on the complaint, a case was filed at Gujjaini police station, and an investigation was launched.
Police records indicate that Prakash Gautam has seven previous cases registered against him, while Ishu and Abhishek have three cases each. Ajay Rajput has one prior case. During interrogation, the accused admitted to committing thefts to support their expensive lifestyle.
Further investigation revealed that Ishu Gautam had a particular interest in vehicles and spent around Rs13,000 modifying the bike.
Police officials confirmed that efforts are ongoing to arrest the absconding accused and to investigate other possible crimes linked to the gang.
