Ludhiana: ₹7-lakh robbery case cracked, five land in police net

Three days after ₹7 lakh were robbed from two employees of a Mandi Gobindgarh-based fuel station, Khanna police on Thursday cracked the case with the arrest of five persons, including one of the employees who was posing as a victim

Three days after ₹7 lakh were robbed from two employees of a Mandi Gobindgarh-based fuel station, Khanna police on Thursday cracked the case with the arrest of five persons, including one of the employees who was posing as a victim.

Three days after ₹7 lakh were robbed from two employees of a Mandi Gobindgarh-based fuel station, Khanna police on Thursday cracked the case with the arrest of five persons, including one of the employees who was posing as a victim. (Image for representational purpose)

The police have recovered ₹4.7 lakh and also seized the scooter used in the crime.

Those arrested have been identified as Pardeep Singh of Khanna and his four friends — Rajat Arora alias Raja of Ram Nagar, Raman Sharma alias Pandit of Shivpuri, Vikas Bali of Peerkhana Road, and Manish Kumar of Ram Nagar.

Pardeep had said that he was attacked while on way to Capital Small Finance Bank in Khanna with his colleague Paramjit Singh to deposit cash belonging to the petrol pump on October 31.

He had said that two miscreants threw chili powder in their eyes and snatched the bag containing ₹7 lakh.

A case was then registered at City-2 Khanna police station under Section 379 of the IPC against the unidentified accused.

Khanna SSP Dayama Harish Kumar Omprakash said it was suspected that the employees of the fuel station were fabricating a story. “On being quizzed, Pardeep Singh, who was posing as a robbery victim, told the cops about the well-planned and executed robbery,” he added.

“Pardeep was the main accused, who had hatched the entire conspiracy and involved his four friends in the crime. Manish had arranged the scooter for ₹20,000. The police, however, didn’t find the involvement of another victim in the robbery,” the SSP said.

He added that the teams have recovered ₹4.7 lakh of the robbed amount. The scooter used in crime was also seized while 20gm heroin was recovered from the possession of Rajat, the cop said.

Sections 395 and 120B of the IPC and 21, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act have been added to the FIR and the police team is now trying to recover the remaining amount, the SSP said.

He added that Raman and Vikas are already facing trial in several cases, including those of theft and others under the Excise and NDPS acts.