‘Gunner of ASP (crime) part of dacoity at trader’s flat’

LUCKNOW: Constable Pradeep Singh Bhadauria, who was allegedly involved in the ₹1.85-crore ‘dacoity’ by police personnel during a ‘raid’ at a trader’s flat in Gosainganj on Saturday, was the gunner of ASP (crime), Ashtabhuja Prasad Singh, said police.

This revelation raised question -- on whose direction Bhadauria along with his personal driver Anand Yadav join the raid? Police officials said Bhadauria was familiar to one of the two sub-inspectors of Gosainganj police station involved in the dacoity. His involvement raised many eyebrows and put officials of Lucknow crime branch under the scanner.

SSP (Lucknow) Kalanidhi Naithani confirmed that Bhaudauria was the gunner of the ASP (crime) and it was yet to be known how he joined the raid without informing crime branch officials.

He said Bhadauria, along with his personal driver and two subinspectors, Pawan Mishra and Ashish Tewari, had already been arrested and they would be quizzed further.

The arrested accused were sent to jail on Sunday while efforts were on for the arrest of three others including lawyer Madhukar Mishra.

He said the lawyer had tipped off the S-Is about the unaccounted cash in crores at trader Ankit Agrahari’s flat 104 at Omaxe Residency apartments in Gosainganj.

The lawyer was still missing with a huge amount of cash, added the SSP.

Two S-Is along with the ASP’s gunner, his personal driver, the lawyer and two other unidentified persons were part of the team that raided the flat of Ankit Agrahari, who is involved in business

of red sand and coal.

According to the trader’s allegation, ₹3.38 crore was kept in his flat when the police personnel and others carried out the ‘raid’ around 7 am on Saturday. However, the police personnel showed recovery of only ₹1.57 crore while the remaining ₹1.85 crore was missing, he alleged.

The trader’s allegations were initially found true as the footage of the CCTV cam installed in the apartment showed the lawyer and two others leaving the flat with a bag.

Consequently, a case of dacoity was registered against seven people, including two S-Is and the lawyer, for allegedly robbing the trader of Rs 1.85 crore. Circle officer of Mohanlalganj said the two S-Is, the constable and his driver were arrested after recovery of around ₹40 lakh and two fourwheelers used in the crime from their hideouts.