Mastermind of ₹2-crore highway robbery escapes from police custody in Firozabad

In a dramatic turn of events, Naresh, the alleged mastermind behind the ₹2 crore highway robbery on Kanpur–Agra National Highway, escaped from police custody on Sunday afternoon.

He had been arrested along with five accomplices on Saturday evening. Police had also recovered ₹1.05 crore in cash from the accused.

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Naresh, a resident of Arni village under Khair police station area of Aligarh district, managed to flee while being taken for the recovery of the remaining loot.

Around 1 pm on Sunday, police were escorting him near Ghunpai village in the Makhanpur area, where he had claimed to have hidden a bag full of cash in the bushes.

During the operation, Naresh told the police he needed to relieve himself. Officers allowed him to step out near Kheda Ganeshpur village.

Though one hand was handcuffed, he entered the nearby bushes under the pretext of using the toilet and never returned. After about five minutes, the police grew suspicious and began searching for him, but Naresh had already escaped, causing panic in the department.

A district-wide manhunt and checkpoints have since been launched.

The robbery took place on the morning of September 30, when employees of Gujarat-based GK Company were transporting ₹2 crore in cash from their Kanpur office to Agra.

Near Ghunpai village on the Kanpur–Agra highway, their vehicle was intercepted and rammed by two cars carrying armed assailants. The robbers looted the cash and abducted the driver, Dina Ji, before fleeing.

Upon receiving the alert from the accompanying employee, company owner Ashok Bhai Patel contacted the police. SSP Saurabh Dixit deployed six special teams to crack the case.

CCTV footage from the Kathphori toll plaza and a dhaba in Etawah helped police identify two suspicious cars involved in the crime.

The vehicles were traced to Delhi, where one of them had been returned to a rental agency. Police followed the trail and arrested six suspects near the Pioneer Bridge in the Makhanpur area on Saturday evening.

Besides ₹1.05 crore in cash, a new mobile phone and a bike purchased using the stolen money were recovered. During interrogation, the names of other gang members also surfaced, and raids are underway to apprehend them.

However, Naresh’s escape has raised serious concerns about police negligence and lapses in security protocol. The incident has triggered an internal investigation, even as efforts continue to re-arrest the absconding mastermind.