Lucknow: In an audacious act of criminality, two laborers hired for tiling work in an adjacent building employed their tile cutter for a far more sinister purpose – breaking into a jewelry shop and making off with approximately ₹3 lakh worth of precious items on Kursi Road. The incident unfolded on February 5, sending shockwaves through the locality.
Swift police action, involving an 18-member team, led to the apprehension of the culprits on the following Wednesday. Not only were the thieves captured, but the stolen jewelry and the getaway vehicle, a bike, were also successfully recovered.
Qasim Abidi, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the North region, shed light on the perpetrators’ modus operandi, revealing their calculated approach to targeting shops in basements, often away from the prying eyes of the public. The accused, identified as Santosh Kumar Gautam (33) and Kaushal Gautam (25), both hailing from Barabanki, had managed to infiltrate their workplace by posing as laborers.
The duo confessed to the police that financial desperation had driven them to plan and execute the heist, specifically targeting nearby jewelry establishments. Adding to the gravity of their actions, Santosh had a criminal record with 12 registered theft cases in Lucknow and other districts.
Kuldeep Yadav, the owner of the looted jewelry shop, recounted the incident. The shop’s CCTV system, connected to his mobile phone, sent an alert at 3:35 am on February 5. Acting promptly, Yadav contacted the security company, discovering that an unauthorized entry had occurred. Upon reaching the shop, he found evidence of forced entry, with the shutter cut and the glass door shattered.
Remarkably, the thieves had the foresight to abscond with the CCTV equipment, possibly to avoid identification. However, their actions were not in vain, as the CCTV server retained footage capturing the two men with their faces concealed in the act. The stolen items, once returned to the rightful owner, will hopefully bring a sense of closure to the affected jeweler and serve as a warning against potential wrongdoers in the future. The accused are now slated to face legal proceedings as they are presented in court.
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