Bhopal: We are all highly dependent on the Google voice saying "200 metres straight and then turn left"... Sometimes the voice leads us to "nowhere" saying "can't find the location."
Relying on Google maps proved costly for Uttar Police in Gwalior, as a group of miscreants waylaid them and managed to free a wanted criminal from their custody.
The incident was reported in Ranipura locality in Gwalior city where a wanted criminal was holed inside a hideout.
The arrested criminal managed to escape from police custody as the mobs and his associates attacked police vehicle. Hazira police station has registered a case following a complaint of UP police and have started further investigation.
Following a tip off that a notorious criminal Guddu Chouhan was hiding, a team of Dannahar police station of Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) raided a house in Ranipur locality under Hazira police station of Gwalior district on Thursday afternoon. However, the UP police team led by inspector Omjeet Vajpayee neither informed local police nor sought any help from them.
Police sources said Guddu Chouhan is wanted in several cases registered at various police stations in UP. When a police team raided the house of Sonu Rathore, they got a tip off that another wanted criminal Saurav Bhadauriya was also staying at a house in the same locality.
Google Maps is a web mapping product developed at Google by Lars Rasmussen and Jens Rasmussen. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, air (in beta) and public transportation. In 2020, Google Maps was used by over 1 billion people every month around the world
While Omjeet along with a sub-inspector stayed at Rathore’s house for further interrogation, they sent two constables to nab Saurav Bhadauriya, who is carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head.
Sources said two constables informed inspector Vajpayee, who instructed them to take Bhadauriya away from the locality.
When the two constables, who were in civil dress, reached and tried to take Bhadauriya away, they had to face protest from locals. A video, which later went viral on social media, also showed that locals were trying to obstruct UP Police vehicles and asked them to talk to local police. However, the UP Police managed to move ahead.
“Team was not aware about the routes. They used Google maps to reach Jalpura from where they were to take the highway. But, they were "Goolgled" back to the same locality from where they had detained Bhadauriya. The locals and associates of Bhadauriya attacked the police team and also pelted stones on police vehicles. They managed to free him from police custody,” said a police officer posted in Mainpuri district.
When contacted, Hazira city superintendent of police (CSP) Ravi Bhadauriya said that the UP police team had taken a wrong route and reached back, where they were attacked and the accused was freed from their custody. Thanks to "Google Giri".
“We have registered a case against Saurav Bhadauriya and his associates who helped him to flee. It is true that UP police didn’t inform us. Had they informed and taken help from us, this incident would have been averted,” Bhadauriya said.
Sources said that Saurav Bhadauriya had killed his wife at Rasoolpur in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh in 2010. He was arrested by the police but he later managed to escape from custody. Since then, he has been living in Gwalior. Police sources said Bhadauriya is a close associate of notorious criminal Guddu Chouhan, who is carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
