Meerut, June 3 -- Hapur police on Tuesday claimed to solve the robbery of Rs.16.92 lakh from a cloth merchant in the Babugarh police station area on May 31. Three accused, including the merchant's own driver who allegedly masterminded the heist, have been arrested. Two of the suspects were apprehended following a police encounter in which one of them sustained a gunshot injury. According to police officials, after the robbery, suspicion fell on the victim's driver, identified as Lakshya Rawat. Intensive questioning led to a breakthrough when Rawat allegedly confessed to planning the robbery with his associates, Rizwan alias Mannu and Nihal Ahmed. Varun Mishra, circle officer (CO), city, said that police teams were deployed to track down the remaining accused. Acting on intelligence inputs, officers surrounded the suspects near the Alipur Underpass. However, the accused allegedly opened fire on the police in an attempt to escape. "Upon realising they had been cornered, the criminals fired at the police team. In retaliatory action, one of the accused was injured, after which both were overpowered and arrested," Mishra said. Police recovered Rs.16.50 lakh in cash from accused, accounting for most of looted amount. Authorities also seized an illegal firearm, a country-made firearm, live cartridges, spent cartridge cases, and the Volkswagen car allegedly used in the crime. The accused have been identified as Lakshya Rawat, a resident of Gandhinagar, Delhi, and victim's driver; Rizwan alias Mannu, a resident of Shahdara, Delhi; and Nihal Ahmed, a resident of Geeta Colony, Delhi. Police officials said that one of the arrested suspects has a criminal history and is already facing multiple criminal cases. His alleged involvement proved crucial in helping the other accused execute crime. htc...