Varanasi: Police personnel who helped solve two major cases, including the theft of 20 brass bells from a temple and the arrest of a wanted accused carrying a reward of Rs 25,000, were honoured at the Police Office in Azamgarh on Thursday.SSP Anil Kumar presented commendation certificates to the personnel and praised their efforts, urging them to continue performing their duties with dedication. Those honoured included SI Rajeev Kumar Singh, SHO of Tarwan; senior SI Krishna Mishra; SIs Akshay Pratap Singh, Suraj Tiwari and Atul Mishra; and constables Vipin Yadav, Ratnesh, Ashutosh, Shahbaz and Kamlesh Kumar Yadav.In the first case, thieves stole 11 brass bells from Pauhari Baba Temple under Mehnagar police station limits on the night of September 29. Nine more bells were stolen from the same temple on the night of October 1, taking the total to 20. A case was registered at Mehnagar police station under Section 305(D) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).During the investigation, police received information about a plan to sell the stolen bells and the person involved in purchasing stolen property. Interrogation also revealed the theft of four brass bells from a temple under Saidpur police station limits in Ghazipur district on August 7. A case in this connection had been registered under Section 303(2) of the BNS at Saidpur police station.On the night of Oct 3-4, a joint team of Mehnagar and Tarwan police was checking suspicious persons and vehicles when it received information that stolen brass bells were being transferred between two four-wheelers near Vishunpura Mod on the Kharihani-Chiraiyakot road.Mehnagar station in-charge Abhiraj Kumar, Sub-Inspector Akshay Pratap Singh, in-charge of Singhpur outpost, and Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar Singh, in-charge of Rasepur outpost under Tarwan police station, reached the spot with their teams. Police surrounded the vehicles and arrested the accused as they allegedly tried to flee.Police recovered 20 stolen brass bells, Rs 1 lakh said to have been received from the sale of stolen property, and two four-wheelers allegedly used in the crime.In the second case, Monu Mishra alias Brijesh Mishra, a resident of Tarwan Saraiya village, had been wanted in two cases registered in 2009. The first complaint, filed at Tarwan police station on March 16 that year, alleged that he had lured away the complainant’s daughter. A case was registered under Sections 363 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).On March 30, another case was registered after the complainant’s second daughter was allegedly taken away. The case invoked Sections 363, 366, 120B and 376 of the IPC. A separate case was also registered against Mishra under Section 3(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act.Mishra had been absconding for 17 years. On Nov 27, 2022, the Azamgarh SSP announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for his arrest.On Sept 23, Tarwan police were checking suspicious persons and vehicles while searching for wanted accused and those facing warrants. Acting on a tip-off, the team arrested Mishra near Navrasiya culvert in Dubhav village. A .315-bore country-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from his possession.
