Two Accused Of Lucknow Bank Looting Shot Dead By UP Police In Separate Encounters Within 48 Hours

On Tuesday (24 December), officials reported that two suspects believed to be involved in the heist at the Chinhat branch of the Indian Overseas Bank in Lucknow were fatally shot in distinct confrontations with the police forces of Lucknow and Ghazipur.

Sobind Kumar, aged 26, lost his life in a confrontation with the Lucknow police near Kisan Path, according to reports. In a separate incident, Sunny Dayal, 28, was fatally shot by the Ghazipur police and SWAT surveillance team.

Radha Raman Singh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Chinhat, identified Sobind Kumar, who hails from Bihar, as one of the individuals suspected in the bank robbery, The Hindu reported.

Based on an anonymous tip, law enforcement officials halted two vehicles near Laualai village in the Chinhat region on Monday. The situation escalated when one of the suspects initiated gunfire towards the police, leading to a responsive shootout.

In the ensuing crossfire, a suspect named Sobind Kumar was shot and later succumbed to his injuries. This comes after three Khalistan operatives, accused of an attack on a police station in Punjab, were reportedly killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Prashant Kumar, the Director General of Police (DGP) for UP, reported that Dayal, who had a bounty of Rs 25,000 on his head, was killed in a combined operation executed by the Ghazipur's Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team and the Gahmar police.

The chase concluded near Kutubpur, where the suspects ditched their motorcycle and began shooting at the officers. "In retaliation, police shot Sunny Dayal, while the second suspect escaped under the cover of darkness," the DGP said.

Dayal was taken to a community health centre and later referred to Ghazipur District Hospital, where he was declared dead, as per the police. The authorities seized a .32-bore pistol, cash amounting to Rs 35,500, and purloined silver jewelry from his possession, he further stated.

On Sunday, a robbery occurred at the Chinhat branch of the Indian Overseas Bank. According to the branch manager, Sandeep Singh, the thieves gained access to the bank by breaking through a wall from a nearby empty plot. They managed to loot contents from approximately 40 lockers.

The bank acknowledged the incident as an "unfortunate security breach in spite of strict precautions" in a statement and pledged to fully cooperate with the authorities.

On Monday, authorities apprehended three individuals implicated in a theft incident. The suspects, identified as Arvind Kumar, who was injured, Balram, and Kailash, all hail from Bihar. They were stopped near Laualai village.

Initially, four accomplices, namely Sobind Kumar, Sunny Dayal, Mithun Kumar, and Vipin Kumar Verma, had succeeded in fleeing.