Two held for Dec 25 robbery; Rs 20 lakh, two cars seized
In a major success, the Jalandhar rural police on Saturday arrested two persons and recovered Rs 15 lakh and foreign currency worth Rs 4.55 lakh, which they had robbed from a Nakodar-based currency trader on December 25 last year.
In a major success, the Jalandhar rural police on Saturday arrested two persons and recovered Rs 15 lakh and foreign currency worth Rs 4.55 lakh, which they had robbed from a Nakodar-based currency trader on December 25 last year.
The accused have been identified as Gurdev Singh, alias Goni, and Bhupinder Singh, both residents of Gandhra village of the district.
One of their accomplices, Pushpinder Singh, a jawan of 10-Jammu & Kashmir Rifles posted at Fazilka, is yet to be arrested, the police said.
The police have also recovered a Maruti 800 (PB10-U-0152), which was used in the crime, and recently-purchased Maruti Swift (PB02-BA-3002) besides 1 kilogram of intoxicant powder from them. In a press conference, senior superintendent of police (rural) Jaspreet Singh Sidhu and SP (D) HPS Khakh said Goni, married to a UK-based girl, had masterminded the robbery.
He used to visit the office of Gobind Forex in Nakodar to exchange foreign money, they said. He along with Bhupinder and Pushpinder had been keeping an eye on Krishan Lal, the owner of Gobind Forex.
On December 25, they attacked Krishan Lal who was on an Activa scooter near a hospital and left him badly injured. They also took his scooter after robbing him of Rs 32 lakh.
Then they abandoned the scooter in a nearby village.
“They purchased a new Swift for Rs 4 lakh and deposited Rs 15 lakh in Capitol Bank account in Nakodar,” Sidhu said.
A SIT, formed immediately after the incident, was working to trace the accused but transfer of SHOs and other officials in the past few months delayed the probe, he further said.
He said a new SIT was formed under the supervision of Khakh who was assisted by CIA staff in-charge Angrej Singh and Nakodar SHO to make headway in the case.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team laid a trap near Kapurthala Canal Bridge and stopped a Swift in which Gurdev and Bhupinder were carrying Rs 15 lakh cash.
During interrogation, they confessed to have committed the robbery, adding that Rs 15 lakh was part of the robbed money.
The police have also recovered foreign currency worth Rs 4.55 lakh, 500 gm intoxicant powder.
The SSP said Pushpinder was on leave at the time of the crime and now he is posted in Fazilka district. A team has been sent to arrest him, added the SSP.