The three robbers, who had “raided” a pharmacist’s house in New Shivaji Nagar on Monday, while posing as income tax officials, have landed in police net.
The accused, all engineering diploma holders, were inspired by the Bollywood flick “Special 26” to strike big in one go and live a lush life, said police.
The accused, Shamsher Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Prince Goyal, all residents of Dhuri, Sangrur, are aged between 25 and 30.
“They have studied mechanical engineering and are working at a Sangrur-based company. Taking inspiration from a movie, they hatched a conspiracy to execute an inconspicuous robbery at the pharmacist’s house, under the garb of income tax sleuths,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City 1) Pragya Jain.
Huge rush of customers caught their eye
The ADCP said around a week ago, the trio visited the Old City Market for shopping.
“At Trunka Wala Bazaar, they noticed a heavy rush of customers at a pharmacy store and assumed its owner, Damanpreet Singh, must have deep pockets. Thus started their search for Damanpreet’s house and a scheme to rob him,” she added.
After conducting a recce of the pharmacist’s house to understand his movement, they struck on Monday when he and his father were away, and his mother, wife and two children were home.
{{/usCountry}}After conducting a recce of the pharmacist’s house to understand his movement, they struck on Monday when he and his father were away, and his mother, wife and two children were home.
{{/usCountry}}“The accused presented a fake income tax notice before the family and started to search the house. But Damanpreet’s wife smelled a rat and raised the alarm. As a Covid vaccination camp was being organised near the house, people rushed to the house, forcing the accused to flee,” the ADCP said.
The trio was arrested within 24 hours, and the computer, printer, the fake I-T notice and the motorcycle used in the crime were seized. ₹5,000 in cash that they snatched from the pharmacist’s mother before fleeing were also recovered, the police official said.
The accused have been booked under Sections 379-B (snatching), 419 (cheating by personation), 171 (cheating by personation) and 451 (house-trespass) of Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is underway.