E-Paper
Chandigarh: Four arrested for snatching attempt
Had targeted two vegetable vendors in Chandigarh in the wee hours of Monday, but fled after being chased by police
Probing into the snatching attempt on the Sector 19/27 dividing road where two vegetable vendors were targeted in the wee hours of Monday, police have arrested four men, including three murder accused who are out on bail.
They have been identified as Monu, alias Maroli, 24; Pardeep, alias Nangad, 25; and Sunny, 23, all residents of Sector 25, and Vinod, alias Lala, 28, of Faidan village.
Two vehicles, including a Maruti Suzuki Zen and Esteem, which are also stolen, have been recovered from them.
According to police, except Sunny, all accused are history-sheeters, facing multiple criminal cases going back to 2013.
Monu alone is booked in 23 cases of murder, firing, robbery and Arms Act.
Pardeep is facing six cases, including murder and robbery, and Vinod is also named in a murder FIR.
The accused were arrested by officials from the Sector 24 police post in connection with a knifepoint robbery in Sector 25 on February 3.
Police said they had gathered at the Sector-25 rally ground, where they were planning another robbery when they were arrested following a tip-off.
During questioning, they confessed to their involvement in the snatching attempt in the wee hours of Monday.
The victims, brothers Sandeep and Kuldeep of Kajheri, were headed to the Sector 26 wholesale vegetable market in their auto-rickshaw when they were waylaid by the accused’s car on the Sector 19/27 dividing road.
After police spotted and chased the snatchers, they drove towards Sector 17/22, where they crashed their car into a median and fled on foot. The car recovered was later found to be stolen.
Stayed on the prowl at night
Investigators said all accused were hardened criminals, who had formed a gang. They would remain on prowl at night, looking for vulnerable citizens whom they would rob using sharp-edged weapons for threatening. They also stole cars to aid their recces.
At the time of filing of this report, the accused were yet to be presented before a court. Police said they will ask for remand of Monu, who was the gang’s kingpin.
Police will investigate whether the gang is involved in other incidents where vegetable vendors were robbed.
Apart from Monday’s incident, since 2020, there have been five such cases. Most recently, on February 12, three motorcycle-borne men had snatched ₹9,000 from a vegetable vendor after stabbing his leg near the Sector 26 grain market.
