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Gharuan carjacking: Gang lured Class-12 student to secluded spot via dating app
Police have arrested one person, identified as Khushal Singh, in connection with the Gharuan carjacking while two of his accomplices --Ranvir Singh and Jyoti, are on the run. All three are in the 20-22 age group. Two cars -- one robbed from the student and another a Swift Dzire used in the crime -- have also been recovered from the accused.
The Class-12 student who was robbed of his Accent car in Gharuan on the night of December 28 had been lured by carjackers through a dating app, police said on Tuesday.
Police have arrested one person, identified as Khushal Singh, in connection with the crime while two of his accomplices --Ranvir Singh and Jyoti, are on the run. All three are in the 20-22 age group. Two cars -- one robbed from the student and another a Swift Dzire used in the crime -- have also been recovered from the accused.
As per the police, the three-member gang used to hunt for victims through a dating app, lure them to secluded spots and then rob them of their belongings.
Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Garg said, “Earlier, this gang used to rob people of their mobile phones or cash, but this time, they fled with the victim’s car, besides ₹700 cash and mobile phone.”
A CIA team, led by SP (investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar and DSP (investigation) Gursher Singh, nabbed Khushal Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib from his hometown. Police said he was traced with the help of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. As the car robbed from the student was low on fuel, the accused had to ask their accomplices to get petrol from a pump. With the help of CCTV footage, police were able to trace the route taken by the accused.
As per the police, the gang has so far targeted four persons, apart from the Class-12 student. These victims were based in Mohali, Kharar, Gharuan and Ludhiana.
Two other carjackings also solved
In another case, Mohali CIA recovered the Eon car which was allegedly snatched from a city resident near Sector 62 on December 23. Police have arrested one Sandeep Kumar, 35, from Sector 34, Chandigarh, in connection with the case. His accomplice Dinesh Kumar, who works as a cook in Sector 35, is still absconding. The robbed car has also been recovered from Manimajra.
SSP Garg said, “The victim, after getting drunk in Sector 20, was returning home. When he reached Sector 34, he parked his car on the roadside as he was unable to drive. He approached the two, who were standing there, and requested them to drop them home, in lieu of money. When they reached near YPS Chowk, the accused decided to rob the victim of his car. They pushed him out of the car and fled with the vehicle.”
Sources said the crime took place in Chandigarh and the victim had tried calling the police twice between 12 am and 1 am but to no avail.
“The accused were traced after multiple teams of Mohali Police launched a search operation in Chandigarh, including Mauli Jagran and Manimajra. CCTV cameras installed in Chandigarh gave us vital clues,” said a police officer.
Notably, the accused were seen pushing the snatched car near Mauli Jagran traffic lights which helped in tracing one of the two accused. The victim’s car, according to the police, had developed some fault due to which the accused had to push it.
In the third case, police arrested two persons for allegedly assaulting and snatching a Swift Dzire car of Gurwinder Singh of Sohana in Phase 8, Mohali on Monday.
The accused were identified as Jashanpreet Singh, 22, and Karanvir Singh, 21, of Raipur Kalan, Sohana, Mohali.
The SSP said the accused had an old dispute with the victim and they had assaulted him following which they also took away his car.
