Lucknow youth lured with job offer, killed in Tamil Nadu; three arrested

Lucknow: A 22-year-old man from Lucknow was allegedly lured with the promise of a job and killed in Tamil Nadu, with Uttar Pradesh Police arresting two men and a woman in connection with the case.The victim, identified as Saurabh Rawat, was a resident of Bakshi Ka Talab in Lucknow. Police said he left home on April 10 with three people who had assured him they would arrange employment for him in southern India. Soon after, his mobile phone became unreachable, causing concern among his family members.When repeated efforts to contact him failed, his mother, Manorama, filed a missing person complaint at Mahigawan police station on April 19, naming the suspects.

Police then began an investigation and traced the accused to Barabanki district.The arrested accused has been identified as Akhilesh, 21, Kamlesh, 30, and Preeti, 29, wife of Kamlesh. Police said Akhilesh and Kamlesh are brothers and all three are residents of Pilehati village under Kursi police station limits in Barabanki.According to station house officer Ram Kumar Gupta, the accused initially told investigators that Saurabh had got off the train near Jhansi and that they did not know what happened to him.

However, police found inconsistencies in their statements and used technical surveillance, including mobile phone location data, to track their movements.Investigators said the location of the accused matched with the victim’s phone near Jolarpettai railway junction in Tamil Nadu around the time of the incident. During questioning, the trio allegedly confessed that they had taken Saurabh to Tamil Nadu for work linked to a coconut-related business.Police said a dispute broke out during the journey over money and commission, after which Saurabh was allegedly pushed from a moving train, causing his death. Officials said the motive and sequence of events are still being verified, and coordination with Tamil Nadu Police is underway.