Let $a_1, a_2, a_3, ......, a_n, .....$ be in A.P. If $a_3+a_7+a_11+a_15=72,$ then the sum of its $first\; 17\; terms$ is equal to :

Question

$\begin{array}{1 1}(1)\; 306 \\(2)\; 153\\ (3)\; 612 \\(4)\; 204 \end{array}$