Lucknow: In a stern move following the theft of 42 lockers at the Indian Overseas Bank in Chinhat, Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, has taken decisive action by suspending 13 members of the SWAT team. The heist resulted in the theft of 12 kilograms of gold, silver, and cash, of which the police later recovered 6 kilograms of gold, 14 kilograms of silver, and ₹13 lakh in cash. However, concerns over the recovery process have raised serious doubts about the SWAT team’s involvement, leading to the team’s disbandment late Tuesday night by DCP East, Shashank Singh.
Disappearance of Precious Jewelry Raises Suspicion
The initial investigation revealed that after the theft, a team from the Eastern Zone SWAT, including Daroga Satish Kumar, Constables Ajay Kumar, Manoj Kumar Singh, and Hitesh Singh, conducted a raid in Ghazipur. Upon returning with the recovered goods, all but Manoj Kumar went on leave and were untraceable for four to five days.
Upon the bank manager’s report confirming the stolen gold, it was discovered that 12 kilograms of gold were missing. When the recovered items were cross-checked, discrepancies came to light, especially regarding the missing gold. This irregularity raised suspicions about the SWAT team’s involvement in the crime.
Notices Issued for Interrogation
After learning about the discrepancies, DGP Prashant Kumar reprimanded DCP Shashank Singh and ordered the suspension of the entire SWAT team on Thursday. Additionally, the investigating officer, ADC (East) Pankaj Kumar Singh, issued notices to all 13 suspended SWAT officers, directing them to provide their statements within three days.
List of Suspended Officers
Late Thursday night, DCP East Shashank Singh suspended the following members of the SWAT team: Sub-Inspector Satish Kumar, Ranjit Kumar, Anuj Singh, Head Constable Parshuram Rai, Harikishore, Constables Manoj Kumar Singh, Vishal Kumar, Hitesh Singh, Rahul Pandey, Ajay Kumar, Sachin Tomar, Vimal Chand Pal, and Female Constable Shilpi Pandey.
The ongoing investigation will determine the extent of the manipulation of the recovered gold and the involvement of the SWAT team members in the theft.
