Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh government stripped seven policemen including an Inspector who investigated "ghost" sightings, from its ranks for their role in an alleged robbery of Rs 1.4 crore from a Gujarat-based businessman in the Bhelupur area of Varanasi district, police said.
The dismissed were accused of kidnapping and robbing an employee of a Banda-based businessman in Auraiya district. The dismissed policemen include one Station House Officer, three sub-Inspectors and as many constables. The dismissed SHO is identified as Rama Kant Dubey, sub-Inspectors - Sushil Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, and Utkarsh Chaturvedi, and constables - Mahendra Kumar Patel, Kapil Dev Pandey, and Shivchand. All were attached to the Bhelupur police station in Varanasi district.
Police maintained that their investigation into the Rs 1.4 crore robbery case is still underway and that they have arrested four persons so far, while they are yet to book the seven dismissed policemen. According to police top brass, the dismissed policemen were initially suspended for negligence.
A preliminary probe into the incident revealed that the cops were actively involved in the robbery. Based on the inputs, they were removed from the service. Criminal action will also be initiated against the policemen involved in the robbery.
On May 31, Varanasi police claimed to have recovered Rs 92.94 lakh cash from an abandoned car in the Bhelupur area. The money was later identified as the cash lost by an employee of Gujarat-based businessman in an armed robbery reported few days before.
One of the policemen who was party to the robbery was disgruntled with his share and has leaked the information about the active role of policemen in the robbers. As the information trickled out, a discreet probe revealed the involvement of the police septet in the robbery. The finding led to the suspension of the cops in the run up to their dismissal from the service.
Earlier in September 2022, Dubey was investigating a purported ghost sighting case in the district after multiple videos were share in the social media showing a white object moving the roof tops in the residential areas. “There is fear among the people. On their complaint, we have lodged an FIR against unknown persons and have intensified patrolling in the area,” the Inspector had said back then. (with IANS inputs)
