Criminal carrying reward of ₹1.5 lakh arrested

LUCKNOW: Police arrested a dreaded criminal carrying a reward of ₹1.5 lakh on his head, from Sarojinagar police station area here on Sunday.

“The accused is one Sameer Khan alias Raka, a native of Gonda district who is accused in nine cases and is wanted in at least 12 others cases. He was arrested in an operation at around 7am on Sunday,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani. The 28-year-old accused was reportedly planning to commit a theft in the state capital, investigators claimed.

Originally an athlete who participated in several senior level competitions, Sameer Khan got involved in criminal activities after committing an armed robbery in his home town in Gonda in 2017. He is a postgraduate and used his education to form a group and commit more serious crimes. In late 2017, Sameer with his gang entered a bank branch in Pratapgarh and committed armed robbery. “Sameer was the mastermind of the gang and used to plan most of the incidents. He has named the other members during interrogation and we are trying to track them,” the SSP said. “We are co-ordinating with police teams from other police stations to nab to other members of the gang,” said the SSP.

The gang reportedly committed a range of crimes in Faizabad, Gonda, Lucknow and Pratapgarh districts on several occasions in last two years. “Sameer and other members of the gang are also charged with murder of two brothers in Pratapgarh that they committed for extortion,” the SSP said. Following interrogation by the police, Sameer was sent to prison on judicial custody.