Lucknow: What police believe was supposed to be another routine burglary for two alleged thieves from Kanpur ended in dramatic fashion when homeowners returned unexpectedly and residents foiled their escape in Lucknow’s Banthra area.The incident took place in Banthra Bazaar, where wholesale grocery trader Santosh Kumar Gupta returned to his three-storey house around 2 am after attending his nephew’s pre-wedding haldi and mehndi ceremony in Kakori. Instead of finding his family home secure, Gupta discovered the main gate open and rooms ransacked.As he prepared to alert police, Gupta reportedly heard voices coming from the top floor, suggesting the intruders were still inside the house. He immediately raised an alarm, drawing residents from the neighbourhood. The suspects allegedly tried to flee but were overpowered by locals before they could escape and were later handed over to police.The accused were identified as Monis Abbas (30) and Mohammad Asif (35), residents of Gwaltoli Makbara in Kanpur. According to police, the duo is suspected to be part of a gang involved in at least four previous theft cases in which the culprits had managed to evade arrest.Police said the gang decamped with nearly ₹5 lakh in cash, around 300 gm of gold jewellery and about 2 kg of silver ornaments from Gupta’s residence. Investigators suspect that other members of the gang, who had reportedly arrived in a car, escaped with most of the stolen valuables before residents intervened.Officers recovered ₹15,000 in cash and about 100 grams of silver jewellery. Police also seized three mobile phones, a scooter allegedly used by the accused, and an iron rod believed to have been used to break locks and doors.Additional DCP (South), Vasanth Kumar said the arrested men were being questioned and efforts were underway to identify and arrest other gang members and recover the remaining stolen goods.
