The thieves opened fire after the police reached the spot, said officials. The police claimed they fired in retaliation, shooting one of them on the right leg. The Kanpur Police on Tuesday said it thwarted theft at a home the night before with the help of its its owner who tracked two thieves on a CCTV camera from the United States.
The thieves opened fire after the police reached the spot, said officials. The police claimed they fired in retaliation, shooting one of them on the right leg.
The person was identified as Shrinath Rathore alias Sonu, 27. He was was taken to a hospital. Shrinath’s accomplice who was seen on the cameras managed to escape. No policeman was injured in the shootout.
Chakeri Station House Officer (SHO) Madhur Mishra said homeowner Vijay Awasthi was a software engineer in New Jersey. Awasthi, who shifted to the US with his family sometime ago, installed high-resolution cameras connected to the Internet in and around his house in the city’s Shyamnagar area before leaving the country. He used to keep a watch on his house from New Jersey, the police added.
Late on Monday, Awasthi spotted two people in his home. Using speakers installed in the house, the engineer warned the robbers that he would alert the police if the failed to leave immediately. As the thieves broke one of the CCTV cameras, Awasthi immediately alerted his neighbour and the police.
The police reached the spot soon afterwards, and on seeing them the thieves allegedly fired at them and ran to the house terrace. “In the retaliatory firing, one of the robbers got injured on the terrace of the house and fell. The police team immediately overpowered and caught Shrinath,” said SHO Mishra.
During interrogation, Shrinath told the police that he and his accomplice had been conducting a recce in the area for some time and found Awasthi’s house locked for a long time. “On Monday evening, they entered the house after unlocking the main gate. Before they could open the shelves, the police arrived. Shrinath told the police that his
accomplice escaped after the police arrived,” said Mishra.
A case has been filed against Shrinath and unidentified people for attempted murder. The police said while one of Shrinath’s associates managed to escape, more people might have been involved. Investigators were now trying to identify the accused’s associates, said Mishra.
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