Prayagraj cops arrest 1,300 criminals during lockdown

PRAYAGRAJ: As many as 1,300 criminals wanted for murder, dacoity, loot, dowry death, Pocso Act, and rape were arrested by police during the lockdown starting from March 23.


Statistics released by district police on Thursday said among the 1,300 criminals, 226 were wanted for heinous crimes , including 98 for murder, 24 for dowry deaths, 26 for loot/dacoity, 22 for rape, 16 for Pocso Act, 18 for Gangster Act and 22 for molestation/eve teasing.

Besides, 4,558 persons were arrested in Prayagraj district and booked under Section 151 of CrPc from March 23 to May 31 and 1,078 others in connection with other cases during the same period.

Prayagraj SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj told TOI, “A total of 5,882 people were arrested, including 4,558 for violating section 151 of CrPc from March 25 to May 31 during lockdown.”

Apart from criminals wanted in connection with loot, murder and other offences, around half a dozen criminals carrying cash rewards ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs one lakh were also arrested by police during lockdown, the SSP added.

Police got a major breakthrough when a joint team of crime branch Sarayinayat and Industrial area police arrested a sharp-shooter Neeraj Singh alias Akhand Pratap Singh alias Karam Singh alias Annoo Pandey , a resident of Peeparpur, Amethi , from a school in Lawayankala on May 26.

Singh was wanted by Amethi police in a murder case and was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. Police also seized a rifle of 0.315 bore, a 0.32 bore pistol, a 0.315 bore countrymade pistol and a huge cache of cartridges from him.

Singh, a key member of the notorious Khan Mubarak gang having 11 criminal cases against him, was hiding in plain sight as Annoo Pandey. Fake identity cards were also recovered from him.

Moreover, two men wanted in several cases and with alleged links to don-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed were arrested near Ponghat Bridge on May 27. The two criminals, identified as Ali Ahmad and Mohammad Ahmad, both residents of Ponghat area of Dhoomanganj, were carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 each on their head.