Lucknow: Lucknow police have arrested four youths for allegedly robbing a Jan Seva Kendra operator of Rs 4.34 lakh in Gosainganj and then fleeing to Varanasi, where they spent the looted money on hotel stays, parties and shopping.Police recovered Rs 1.5 lakh cash, an iPhone, an Android phone, Aadhaar and PAN cards, a driving licence, a wooden stick and the Apache motorcycle used in the crime. The accused, identified as Arun Kumar alias Goldy (23), Shiva (21), Chanchal Yadav alias Lala (21) and Shubham Rawat (20), were arrested following an investigation based on CCTV footage and electronic surveillance.The robbery took place on Aug 6, when Rahul Kumar, who operates a Union Bank customer service centre near Munshiganj, was returning home with Rs 4.34 lakh in cash. Two motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted him on the Mahurakala-Mahurakhurd road, assaulted him and fled with the cash and his mobile phone.DCP, south, Mohammad Mushtaq formed five teams to crack the case. Investigators scanned footage from nearly 200 CCTV cameras and tracked the suspects electronically.Police said Shubham Rawat, who knew Rahul’s routine and that he carried cash home regularly, allegedly tipped off the other accused. The group then conducted surveillance and executed the robbery after receiving information that Rahul had left the centre.After the crime, the accused allegedly travelled to Varanasi, divided the cash and splurged on personal expenses. Police said one accused, Shiva, bought an iPhone with his share of the loot and uploaded an Instagram reel shot on the device, helping investigators trace him.
