UP: Armed dacoits hold family hostage, loot cash and jewellery worth Rs 1 crore

Seven armed dacoits allegedly held a businessman's family hostage on early Friday morning and decamped with cash and jewellery worth around Rs 1 crore in Gwari village on the Deva-Barabanki road, police said.

According to police, the dacoits targeted the house and wholesale grocery shop of Alok Jaiswal and entered the premises by breaking open the rear door at 3.21 am.

The shop is located on the ground floor, while the family resides upstairs.

At the time of the incident, Jaiswal, his wife, son Himanshu, daughter-in-law, two daughters visiting from their maternal home, and a child were present in the house.

Police said the armed men allegedly threatened the family at gunpoint, assembled them in one place and warned them against raising an alarm.

The accused also taped the mouths of family members and allegedly assaulted children when they cried, police said.

The dacoits remained inside the house for nearly an hour and fled at 4.22 am, police said.

According to the family, the dacoits took away around Rs 12 lakh in cash and gold and silver jewellery worth nearly Rs 90 lakh.

Senior police officers and a forensic team reached the spot after being informed. CCTV footage from nearby areas was examined, while multiple teams were formed, officials said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Chandra Tripathi said five teams have been constituted and some suspects have been detained for questioning.

''The miscreants appeared to have precise information about where the cash and jewellery were kept. Such information is usually known to family members or close associates. We suspect the accused had prior inputs,'' he said, adding that the case would be solved soon.

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