Gorakhpur: Retired lekhpal's family held hostage, ₹52L looted

India Jan 07, 2026

On Monday evening in Gorakhpur, four masked robbers broke into the home of retired revenue officer Balendu Srivastava (70).
The gang held his family at gunpoint, locked them in a room, and threatened them if they resisted.
In just 25 minutes, they stole between ₹52 lakh and ₹80 lakh in cash and gold jewelry, according to different reports, before escaping on motorcycles.

Police response and investigation

After the robbery, police registered a case and started checking CCTV footage to track down the suspects.
Five special teams have been formed for the investigation, with forensic experts collecting evidence from the scene.
Senior officers visited the house and are now looking into possible leads—including whether any recently bailed criminals could be involved.