Five held for multi-lakh theft

LUCKNOW : With the arrest of five people, the city police on Saturday claimed to have worked out the Rs 26 lakh cash theft from the office of Aminabad-based firm Lucknow Drug Agency on the intervening night of August 6 and 7. Police said the firm’s accountant had planned the theft with help of his friends.

Over Rs 17 lakh cash and two motorcycles used in the crime have been recovered from their possession.

Station officer (SO) of Aminabad police station, Ashwani Pandey said those arrested were identified as Karan Chauhan, accountant in the medical firm, his friend Jai Jaiswal and three others Ashish Haldar, Shivam Gupta and Hari Shankar. He said the police initiative to install CCTV cameras at strategic points in adjoining areas helped in cracking the case.

The SO said the police got the main clue when two suspicious motorcycle-borne youths carrying a bag were spotted in the CCTV installed at Hewett Road intersection.

He said the footage was of around 3 am on August 7 from which the motorcycle number was tracked. It was found to belong to Krishnanagar resident Ashish Haldar, who was missing from his house. Haldar was later traced and subsequently four others were arrested. He said rigorous interrogation revealed that the firm’s accountant was the mastermind behind the crime.

Pandey said the accountant tipped off the others about the big amount of cash in the office and they committed theft on the intervening night of August 6 and 7, as the shop was closed the next day on account of Rakshabandhan.

He said Rs 17.34 lakh had been recovered from the arrested people while around Rs 1 lakh was deposited in Hari Shankar’s bank account. He said the accused spent some money to buy mobile phones, clothes and other things.