Three members of a burglary gang, who allegedly used their work as painters and carpenters to scout homes before breaking in, were arrested by Lucknow police on Tuesday, leading to the recovery of stolen cash and jewellery worth around ₹25 lakh, police said.
Vasanth Rallapalli, additional deputy commissioner of police (south), said the accused, Ravendra Kumar Gautam alias Chhotu, 27, Sunny Rawat alias Kaliya, 25, and Shiva Chaurasia alias Jaan, 24, were arrested near PM Awas Yojana Gate No. 2 tri-junction under Bijnor police station limits during a joint operation by the south zone surveillance cell and local police.
The three had forged a friendship while working in orchestra groups. As opportunities dried up, they took to painting and carpentry. Police said these jobs gave them access to residential homes, where they would allegedly observe the layout, valuables and daily routines of residents.
Rajneesh Verma, ACP Krishnanagar, said, “During such work, they would keep a watch on houses that remained locked for long periods or where residents often travelled. Later, they would return and break the locks to steal valuables.”
Verma added that the gang used a motorcycle to conduct reconnaissance across neighbourhoods. “Once they were certain that a house was locked and no one was present, they would break in and steal jewellery and other valuables. After committing the thefts, the accused would leave Lucknow for other districts for some time to avoid suspicion,” he said.
The arrests helped police crack at least four burglary cases registered at Bijnor police station and one at PGI police station.
Rallapalli said police recovered gold and silver ornaments, including rings, chains, bangles, nose pins, earrings and anklets, along with ₹47,150 in cash. The motorcycle allegedly used in the crimes was also seized.
All three have multiple cases of theft and housebreaking registered against them across Lucknow police stations. They were sent to judicial custody after legal formalities. The police team was awarded ₹25,000.
