Police have uncovered a case in Jharkhand’s Chatra district in which a man was allegedly forced off a passenger bus by people posing as Narcotics Department officials and robbed of ₹31.90 lakh. The incident took place on September 7 near Tadbanwa on the Chatra-Gaya main road under Vashishtnagar police station limits. Five accused have been arrested, and police have recovered the black Thar vehicle allegedly used in the crime and ₹70,000 in cash.According to police, Lalan Kumar, a resident of Barwadih under Pathalgada police station, was travelling to Gaya with around ₹32 lakh. The money was reportedly being carried for the purchase of land in Gaya. He was travelling by passenger bus with a bag containing the cash.
Near Tadbanwa, the accused allegedly stopped the bus and identified themselves as Narcotics Department officials. They allegedly threatened him with official action and took Lalan Kumar off the bus along with his bag.
According to the police investigation, the accused put Lalan Kumar into their black Thar after taking him off the bus. He was then taken towards a forest area. At an isolated location, the bag containing the money was allegedly taken from him, after which the accused fled.
The victim subsequently informed the police about the incident. Police launched an investigation into the case.
Following the incident, Chatra SP Animesh Naithani directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Police proceeded with the investigation using technical evidence and information collected locally.
After receiving leads related to the accused’s activities, police began raids at different locations. During the operation, two accused were arrested from Kataiya forest.
According to police, Rangu Kumar and Abhishek Kumar were arrested from Kataiya forest. During their interrogation, police obtained information about other people allegedly involved in the case.
The investigation team subsequently conducted a raid in Kanguruwa forest, where Prince Kumar Yadav, Avinash Kumar and Bajrangi Kumar alias Ranga were arrested. A total of five accused have been arrested in the case.
Police recovered cash from the arrested accused. ₹30,000 was recovered from Rangu Kumar, ₹20,000 from Abhishek Kumar and ₹20,000 from Prince Kumar.
The total cash recovery is ₹70,000. Police have also seized the black Thar allegedly used in the crime.
According to police, the arrested accused are residents of different areas. They include accused from the Dhangaai and Barachatti areas of Gaya district, while one accused is reportedly from the Chouparan area of Hazaribagh district.
Police are investigating whether a larger gang was behind the incident or whether the accused planned and carried out the crime locally.
A key aspect of the investigation is the allegation that the accused posed as government officials. According to police, the accused used the name of the Narcotics Department to stop the bus and take the passenger off under the pretext of official action.
Police are investigating whether the accused used any identity card, documents or other material to present themselves as government officials.
Police said efforts are continuing to recover the remaining amount of the allegedly stolen money. The victim was carrying around ₹32 lakh, while only ₹70,000 has been recovered so far.
Police are questioning the arrested accused to determine how the stolen money was distributed and where the remaining amount was kept.
The SIT used technical evidence along with local information to trace the accused. Police said information obtained after the arrest of the first two accused helped investigators reach three other people.
The investigation is also examining the alleged planning of the incident and the network connected with the accused.
Lalan Kumar was travelling to Gaya to purchase land when the incident occurred. Police are investigating whether the accused already knew that he was carrying a large amount of cash.
Investigators are also examining how the accused may have obtained information about the bus route, Lalan Kumar’s journey and the money he was carrying.
Police are also examining whether the accused had used the identity of government officials only for this incident or had targeted other people using a similar method.
According to an NDTV report, police are continuing efforts to recover the remaining money and investigate the role of other people allegedly connected with the gang.
The police operation included Vashishtnagar police station in-charge Amit Kumar Singh, Pratappur police station in-charge Alok Ranjan and Itkhori police station in-charge Abhishek Kumar, along with other police personnel.
Police from different police station areas were involved in the investigation and raids conducted at multiple locations.
The five arrested accused are being questioned as police continue to search for other possible associates. Police have recovered ₹70,000 and the black Thar allegedly used in the crime, while a large portion of the ₹31.90 lakh allegedly looted remains to be recovered.
Police are also investigating how much of the money remains with the accused and whether any part of it was transferred to another person.
The next focus of the investigation is the recovery of the remaining money, establishing the full sequence of the alleged crime and determining whether other people were involved. Police are continuing further action on the basis of interrogation and technical evidence. Any involvement of additional people will be established after completion of the investigation.
