Kanpur: A top BJP leader of Uttar Pradesh was robbed hours after being elevated to the post of state secretary of the party’s Pichhda Morcha (backward classes wing).
Ramesh Yadav was tied up by the robbers at his farmhouse near Kanpur, shortly after he returned from Lucknow. The miscreants then looted cash ane valuables worth nearly Rs 50 lakh, Yadav told the police.
Yadav came to his farmhouse in the Sen-Paschim Para area after a busy day in Lucknow, where he assumed his new charge, reports said. The property is located nearly 15 kms from Kanpur city. The unidentified man broke in around midnight.
Yadav claimed that the intruders overpowered him shortly after entering the premises and restrained his hands and feet in his statement to the police. They then searched the property and fled with cash and other valuables estimated to be worth Rs 50 lakh.
The incident has raised major concerns in the state as the victim is a political functionary associated with the ruling BJP. The police arrived at the farmhouse during the night and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the crime, as reported by The Statesman.
Yadav had earlier served three terms as a block in-charge, while his wife, Shashi Yadav, has also held the position. Yadav contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from the Bithoor seat as a candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Thereafter, he joined the BJP and was given the state-level organisational responsibility.
Joint commissioner, Vipin Tada and deputy commissioner of police (south), Deependra Nath Chaudhary, were among the officers who reached the scene, accompanied by a large police team.
According to the police, investigators are examining CCTV footage from the farmhouse and nearby locations to establish the movements of the suspects and identify those involved.
Authorities have also questioned several people connected with the property. Reports indicate that around 14 individuals, including four security guards, four gunmen and a driver, have been brought in for questioning as part of the investigation.
The identities of the alleged robbers remain unknown, and the police are continuing efforts to trace the suspects and recover the stolen property.