After keeping Lucknow Police on in the investigation trail for 48 hours and triggering an exercise that involved two dedicated probe teams, scrutiny of footage from nearly 40-50 CCTV cameras and a search through a forest, two missing buffaloes, collectively valued at around ₹1.6 lakh, were recovered and a Barabanki resident was arrested, the police said on Wednesday.
Event Context
“After an FIR was lodged on July 19, police constituted two teams to crack the case. Investigators pieced together the suspects’ movements by analysing CCTV footage from around 40 to 50 locations and working with local informers before tracing one of the accused to a forest near Jungle Mangal Tiraaha on Tuesday,” a police statement said.
“During questioning, Rajan allegedly confessed that the trio had hidden the buffaloes in the forest before transporting them to a slaughterhouse in Barabanki, where they planned to sell the animals and split the proceeds,” the statement added.
Team Analysis
“Police arrested Rajan (20), a resident of Barabanki, and recovered both buffaloes. Two of his alleged accomplices—Dubey Raj alias Shakeel and Dilip alias Chhotu—managed to escape into the forest and are yet to be arrested,” the statement added.
The investigation ended on a celebratory note. BJP block pramukh Om Prakash Shukla felicitated Nigohan SHO Ravindra Kumar and the investigating team by presenting them with angvastrams and an idol of Goddess Vindhyavasini. Praising the police for the swift recovery, he said the prompt action had brought relief to the affected families while sending a strong message against livestock theft.
The felicitated team included sub-inspectors Chandan Kumar Yadav and Kuldeep Kumar, along with constables Rohit Kumar, Javendra Kumar and Rajkaran.
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According to police, the buffaloes were stolen from outside the homes of Abhishek Shukla, nephew of block pramukh Om Prakash Shukla, and his neighbour Vansh Deepak Awasthi in Bajpeyi Kheda village under Nigohan police station limits on the intervening night of July 17 and 18.
