Lucknow: Mobile snatcher with past criminal record shot, arrested

A 22-year-old man, accused in a mobile snatching case, was shot in the leg and arrested after a brief encounter in Lucknow. He opened fire on police when signalled to stop. Cops recovered a stolen mobile, a bike, and a pistol from him.

Lucknow: Mobile Snatcher Shot, Arrested After Encounter

A 22-year-old man accused in a mobile snatching case was arrested following a brief encounter with police in Lucknow, officials said.

Lucknow's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Nipun Agarwal said the incident occured on March 20, when a mobile phone was snatched from Preeti Singh, a security guard. Acting promptly on the complaint, police registered a case and constituted a team to trace the accused.

"On March 20th, a mobile snatching incident occurred involving a woman named Preeti Singh, who works as a security guard. The police immediately filed a complaint and formed a team to arrest the accused. Today, near Sector 15, Nehar Road, close to PGI, a 22-year-old man was spotted. When the police signalled him to stop, he opened fire on the police team. During the exchange of fire, the suspect was shot in the leg and taken into custody. He has since confessed to the robbery," DCP Agarwal said.

"Authorities recovered a stolen mobile phone, a Pulsar bike, and a .315 bore pistol. The man has been identified as Arjun Rawat and is currently being treated at a nearby hospital. Rawat has roughly half a dozen cases against him; he has been involved in residential robberies since 2015 and is also linked to a gangster case," he added.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, police said.

3 Jeweller Robbers Nabbed in Agra Police Encounter

In a separate incident in Agra, three persons accused of robbing a jeweller were arrested after an encounter with police, officials said.

According to the Police Commissionerate Agra, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Lohamandi) Gaurav Singh said, "A robbery involving the snatching of gold jewellery from a jeweller recently occurred within the jurisdiction of the Jagdishpur Police Station. Following the incident, multiple teams were deployed to solve the case. Acting on credible intelligence, police spotted an unidentified motorcycle near the Patholi-Bichpuri canal."

"When the police team signalled the vehicle to stop, the 3 individuals on board accelerated toward the officers before diverting onto a different route via a nearby cut-off. The police gave chase, during which the suspects opened fire on the party. Acting in self-defence, the police returned fire, resulting in one suspect sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg," the ACP added.

During interrogation, ACP Singh said the suspects confessed that they were responsible for the crime committed on March 17. "The three individuals have been identified as Rohit, Ankit, and Prince. An illegal country-made pistol was recovered from Rohit's possession. Additionally, the Apache motorcycle used by the suspects, which had been stolen during the original robbery, was recovered, along with the snatched jewellery. Legal proceedings are currently underway," he added. (ANI)

Another Snatcher Arrested in February Encounter

Meanwhile, on February 21, a man was arrested after he opened fire at cops who tried to stop him during a vehicle check, police said.

The accused, who was riding a motorcycle without a number plate, was injured in the leg and taken into custody.

Lucknow DCP Nipun Agarwal said, "On 17 February, an incident of chain snatching occurred with a woman named Rita Jha. We immediately formed teams. A man was riding a bike without a number plate today. When the police tried to stop him, he began firing."

Police recovered a .315 bore pistol and a chain from his possession. "During interrogation, he confessed to the February 17 chain snatching incident. Cases under serious sections like rape and extortion are registered against him," Agarwal added. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)