UP: Youth take to robbery to hold ‘bhandaras’, arrested

The arrested said they had been advised by a priest to hold 'bhandaras' since this would wash away their sins

Lucknow: Three robbers, arrested by the Lucknow Police were found to be stealing for a ’cause’. The three robbers, all in their early twenties, were arrested on Thursday. They have confessed that they stole because they were funding ‘bhandaras’ (community feasts) that are held on Tuesdays in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha.

They said that they had been advised by a priest to hold ‘bhandaras’ since this would wash away their sins. The main accused, Umesh Sahu, owns a small hardware shop while Rohit Kumar and Sumit Maurya assist him in the shop.

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According to police records, the gang had targeted two women on June 7, and decamped with their belongings. “Based on the CCTV camera footage, we traced the bikers and arrested them,” said ADCP, South Zone, Shashank Singh.

Police sources added that the bike used in the robbery has been seized, and efforts are ongoing to uncover other criminal acts committed by the gang. According to police, the gang began to target people when they wanted to go on a pilgrimage but didn’t have enough resources.

“They wanted to go on a pilgrimage but lacked the funds. To fulfil that desire, they committed robberies. Later, to atone for their crimes, they organised charity bhandaras,” said the police.