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Armed robbery bid in Chandigarh: Eight months on, prime suspect held
In December 2020, the accused along with a Tarn Taran man had murdered aide after firing gunshots at a goldsmith’s shop in Sector 23
Almost eight months after an armed robbery bid at a goldsmith’s shop in Sector 23, the police brought the prime suspect on production warrants from Patiala jail.
The accused, identified as Pargat Singh, 29, of Dhaliwal village, Patiala, was brought from Patiala jail where he was lodged in connection to the murder of his accomplice. He was produced before a court here and remanded to two-day police custody.
The police are yet to arrest his accomplice Lovepreet of Tarn Taran.
Arrested by Mohali police for carjacking, murder
The Mohali police had arrested Pargat in July this year, along with one Lucky of Patiala and Satwant, alias Bittu, in connection with robbery of a luxury vehicle at gunpoint. Nine more vehicles were recovered from their possession, the police had said.
With his arrest, the police had claimed to solve the murder of Jaspreet Singh, alias Billa, of Indira Colony, Manimajra, who had accompanied the accused in an armed robbery bid in Sector 23. Hours later, Jaspreet was shot dead by Pargat and Lovepreet at Nanu Majra village in Sector 82, Mohali.
The accused had killed Jaspreet fearing that he had been identified by the police via CCTV footage. A case was registered against Pargat, Lovepreet and one Navdeep Singh of Patiala with whom the duo had fled after murder.
Accused had entered shop on pretext of selling gold
According to the police, accused Pargat Singh and Lovepreet had asked Jaspreet to sell gold who in turn had contacted Panchkula resident Rohit, who worked in a jewellery shop in Sector 15, Chandigarh.
On December 9, 2020, Rohit had come on an Activa scooter and met the others at Shri Gold Testing Lab in Sector 23, Chandigarh. On entering the shop, the accused had initially told lab owner Sanjay Devgun that they wanted to sell the gold, but later Pargat and Lovpreet had fired gunshots leaving Sanjay injured. The accused had later fled in a car. A case was registered.
Jaspreet before dying had made a last call to his mother and told her that he had gone to the gold lab with the accused where they had opened fire. He had also told her that he was unaware of the plan and was innocent.
Even Rohit, who was detained soon after the firing in Sector 23, had told the police that he was tricked by the accused on the pretext of selling gold and was unaware about his plans of robbery.
