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Attack on Chandigarh goldsmith: 3 accomplices of suspected robbers held
Baljit Singh, alias Balli, and Balwinder Singh, alias Billa, both from Fazilka, and Preetinder Singh from Mansa, run a real estate business together
The Mohali police have arrested three accomplices of a man identified as Jaspreet Singh, whose body was found on December 9 with gunshot wounds near Sector 86 here hours after he and two other men reportedly failed to rob a goldsmith’s shop in Chandigarh’s Sector 23.
The three men arrested on Tuesday were identified as Baljit Singh, alias Balli, and Balwinder Singh, alias Billa, both from Fazilka, and Preetinder Singh from Mansa, who ran a real estate business together. Balli was also working with an animation company, police said.
The prime suspects identified by the police are Lovepreet Singh of Nagoke village in Tarn Taran and Pargat Singh, a resident of Urban Estate, Phase 2, Patiala. They are likely to be arrested soon.
Motive behind murder
Mohali senior superintendent of police Satinder Singh said Lovepreet, Pargat and Jaspreet Singh attempted to rob the goldsmith, and later, after Jaspreet was identified by the police, the other two killed him fearing they would be tracked down.
“We have arrested the accomplices of Lovepreet and Pargat, the prime suspects, who will be nabbed soon. On the day of the Chandigarh incident, the arrested persons also helped them. During interrogation they confessed that they used to help Lovepreet and Pargat hide and use their bank accounts for depositing the looted amount. Lovepreet, Pargat and Jaspreet also gave them some share of the looted amount,” said the SSP.
The goldsmith was shot at in his Sector 23 shop on December 9 after the suspects visited him saying they wanted to sell gold. After shooting at the shop owner, however, the three men fled from the shop even as CCTV cameras recorded the incident.
A few hours after the incident, police discovered a body in Sohana, which later turned out to be that of one of the suspects. Jaspreet Singh was found inside his Tata Tiago car with two gunshot wounds to the head. A case was then registered under Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and 25-54-59 of the Arms Act at the Sohana police station.
SSP Satinder Singh said that the three men arrested on Tuesday had carjacked a Ford Endeavour on November 11 and dismantled it.
“We have recovered the SUV’s spare wheel along with an electronic device of the owner from the possession of the arrested persons. The SUV will be recovered soon,” said the SSP.
