In a sensational broad daylight loot in Kushinagar, armed miscreants shot a driver and looted Rs 1.10 crore from the van of a petrol pump on way to deposit the cash in a bank branch near Hata Kotwali on Kaptanganj road on Monday.
Senior police officers later reached the spot and claimed to have launched a hunt for the robbers.
As per reports, two unidentified youths on a motorcycle followed the van carrying cash from the petrol pump. They intercepted the van at some distance from the bank and took the petrol pump employees, including the driver, at gun point. When the driver tried to resist, one of the youths opened fire at him.
Later, warning the other employees on the van of grave consequences, the miscreants looted the cash and sped off from the scene.
The van staff raised an alarm but no one responded to their SOS.
Upon learning about the incident, senior police officers rushed to the spot to supervise investigation. A case was registered and investigations are on.
Elsewhere, in Muzaffarnagar, unidentified miscreants shot a property dealer over old enmity.
SSP of Muzaffarnagar, Sudhir Kumar, said that the miscreants came on a motorcycle and shot Niraj Chouhan (40) in Khatauli town on Sunday evening.
Chouhan was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Kumar said that the police suspect old enmity to be the reason for the killing.
A case was registered and investigations are on.
In Balrampur, a seven-year-old girl was raped by her neighbour in a village in Utraula area. The girl was playing outside her house when 33-year-old Paras took her to a secluded place and raped her.
The victim is recuperating in a hospital. The accused has been arrested.
In Kannauj, a potato farmer, who had a debt of over Rs 3 lakh, committed suicide by hanging himself at Siyarmau village in Jasoda area on Sunday evening. As per reports, Subhash Pal (50) had loans of over Rs 3 lakh.
In his suicide note, Pal stated that he had 16 bigha land and his potato crop was damaged due to which he could not repay his loan. He also blamed the District Magistrate for his extreme step.
Soon after the incident, officials of district administration visited the farmer’s house, condoled his death and assured his family of all possible help.
Last year, the Yogi Adityanath government had announced a Rs 32,000-crore scheme to waive crop loans of small and marginal farmers.