More than two weeks after a trunk carrying ₹39 lakh was stolen from a cash van in Sector 34, Chandigarh Police have arrested one member of the interstate gang involved in the crime.
The accused has been identified as Satiyaseelan, 27, who belongs to Ramji Nagar in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. He was arrested from his home town and brought on transit remand to the city.
With his arrest, police have recovered ₹4 lakh and also identified his five accomplices.
“The accused was among six persons who committed the theft. He is a member of a well-organised gang that targets cash vans or people outside banks. His role was to conduct recce and then transport the stolen money to Chennai,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh.
Bhupinder Singh, who works as a custodian with a security firm based in Sector 47, had lodged a complaint regarding misplacement of the trunk from a cash van on October 8. Under stress after being questioned by police, the driver of the cash van had committed suicide by jumping in front of a train on October 11.
How the gang was busted
{{/usCountry}}How the gang was busted
{{/usCountry}}Police procured the CCTV footage of the route taken by the cash van. The footage collected from Sector 34 showed three men carrying the trunk while the cash was being loaded at an ATM.
“The driver was sitting in the van when a member of the gang approached him and told him that the engine oil is leaking. As the driver got down, the other gang members took out the trunk by opening the passenger-side window. The driver was alone in the vehicle while his three colleagues, including the gunman, had gone to load the cash,” said a police official. All six accused had then left on foot in separate groups.
Police said that apart from the footage, a call made by the main suspect helped trace them. The accused had thrown the mobile phone, but police traced the SIM card to Trichy.
According to police, Ramji Nagar is notorious for gangs involved in crimes executed by diverting the attention of their victims. The gang involved in the present case has set up its base in Delhi and targets different cities in Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh and Rajasthan. After committing the crime, the gang members leave for Haridwar where they reassemble.
Satiyaseelan acted as the “receiver” in the present crime. His role was to transport the stolen cash to Chennai and hand it over to the wife of the gang leader, who would then distribute the money.