Cop among 2 held for robbing friends, 4 on run in Noida

Noida: A police constable and his associate were arrested in Noida for allegedly robbing two friends of cash and valuables worth over Rs 18 lakh. Four other accused involved in the case are yet to be arrested.
The two arrested men — Komal Singh Yadav (30), a constable with Uttar Pradesh Police posted at Prayagraj Police Lines, and Aarush Tripathi (33) — are both from Kanpur. Yadav had been absent from duty for nearly a year. The arrests were made by a joint team of Sector 113 police and the surveillance cell, officials said.
"A few days ago, Rajat Verma, a resident of Sector 76, filed a complaint stating that he and his flatmate, Ashwin, were robbed of cash and valuables by four of their friends," said DCP (Noida) Rambadan Singh. "Initially, we were skeptical, but the investigation confirmed the allegations."
The remaining accused — Deepanshu, Shobhit, Gaurav, and Utkarsh — are currently absconding.
Police said the group targeted Rajat and Ashwin after learning that they kept a large amount of cash at home. They assumed the victims wouldn't approach the police, suspecting their money came from illegal activities.
"Deepanshu and Shobhit called the victims out on the pretext of drinking. The other four followed in a second car. They separated the two, took them to different locations, and beat them up," said Singh.
Yadav allegedly posed as a special task force (STR) officer and accused the victims of illegal dealings. Under pressure, Ashwin took them to their flat, where they stole Rs 7.5 lakh in cash, three laptops, four phones, a chain, and a wallet. The victims were also forced to transfer Rs 11.2 lakh to the accused.
After the robbery, Yadav and Tripathi fled with Rs 6 lakh, two mobile phones, and a laptop. Two vehicles used in the crime — a Mahindra XUV700 and a Scorpio — have also been seized.
A case has been registered under sections 310(2) (dacoity), 317(3) (stolen property), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.