Kanpur: Police arrested three accused, including a woman and her niece, for allegedly committing theft by posing as co-passengers in e-autos and targeting unsuspecting commuters.The arrests were made in connection with a March 9 incident, in which jewellery worth around Rs15 lakh was stolen from a woman during in an e-auto. According to ADCP East Anjali Vishwakarma, the victim, Ranjana, a resident of Badshahi Naka, was travelling with her two daughters to attend a wedding in Chakeri. She boarded an e-auto from Bhikharam Mishthan Bhandar and, upon alighting near Ghantaghar Chauraha, discovered that jewellery including a chain, ring, necklace and anklet kept in her purse had been stolen.Following the FIR, police scanned footage from 98 CCTV cameras, which helped identify the suspect vehicle. Acting on a tip-off on Thursday, police cordoned off the Ghantaghar area and arrested the e-auto driver along with two women from CPC Maal Godam.During interrogation, the accused identified themselves as Juhi, Sanjna (a resident of Parampurwa), Radhika and Shariq. Police said Radhika and Sanjna are aunt and niece. They also revealed the names of two other e-rickshaw drivers allegedly involved in similar crimes.Police said Radhika has a criminal history with four cases already registered against her. Her husband, Gopi, is absconding and efforts are underway to trace him. Further investigation is ongoing to identify other members of the gang and recover stolen items.
