2 fake illness to enter senior’s house for robbery in Lucknow, arrested

LUCKNOW: A humanitarian gesture of offering a glass of water to a stranger claiming to be a victim of heatwave could prove costly, especially if you are a senior citizen residing in a vulnerable area.
The city police recently arrested two persons, who used this ruse to enter the home of elderly residents and commit robbery at gunpoint.
The incident took place at the residence of retired senior citizen Jay Prakash Singh in Sector 7 of Vrindavan Yojana on June 12.
PGI police filed an FIR under IPC sections 352 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Subsequently, the police arrested the suspects and confiscated a .315 bore rifle along with three live cartridges used during the crime.
“The arrested individuals were identified as Brijesh Pratap, 26, originally from Amethi, and Vinod Kumar, 36, from Krishnanagar, Lucknow,” said DCP East Prabal Pratap Singh.
Singh said that on June 12, Brijesh feigned suffering from a heatstroke on the roadside, while Vinod approached Jay Prakash Singh’s residence and urgently requested water on behalf of his “unwell” friend.
“When the elderly man went to fetch water, Brijesh attacked him from behind, pushed him to the ground, and forcibly entered the house. The robbers also brandished firearms to intimidate the elderly resident,” added the DCP.
Later, police reviewed footage from over 150 CCTV cameras covering a 10km radius to identify the perpetrators. With help from informants, the suspects were located near Sichai Puram colony on Wednesday evening and subsequently apprehended.
“They believed the elderly man might have significant cash at home,” police said.