Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested seven people, for allegedly stealing clothes from crematoria and graveyards and selling them.

According to Circle Officer of Baraut Alok Singh on Sunday said a local cloth merchant and his aides used to steal clothes of the dead from crematoria and graveyards and resell these in the market after putting a company trademark.

Singh said, “The accused have been indulging in this act for the past 10 years and the cloth merchant used to give Rs 300 daily to his aides for the act.”

The arrested people have been identified as cloth merchant Praveen Jain, his son Ashish Jain, nephew Rishabh Jain and aides Raju Sharma, Shravan Sharma, Bablu Kashyap and Shahrukh Khan.

“Seven people have been arrested. During interrogation it was revealed that they used to steal bedsheets, sarees, clothes of the dead. Among the items recovered are: 520 bedsheets, 127 kurtas, 52 white sarees 140 shirts, 34 dhotis and 112 trademark stickers along with other articles of clothing,” said the officer to reporters. Circle Officer Alok Singh told a posse of reporters.

“Of the seven arrested three are from the same family. These people have been stealing for last 10 years. Since, they have been arrested during coronavirus crisis, other than stealing they will also be charged under the Epidemic Act,” said the circle officer.