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Ludhiana: Robbers force man to pay ₹7,200 digitally, booked
“Instead of making a clean escape, the accused left behind a UPI transaction trail which made our job easier. Tracing the money transfer directly linked us to the suspects,” said ASI Harbans Singh.
In a bizarre case of digital robbery, three miscreants assaulted a man near the Sangowal canal and, finding no cash on him, forced a UPI transfer of ₹7,200 from his mobile phone. Police later traced the accused through the transaction trail.
According to police, Harjeet Singh was offering prayers near the canal on Wednesday evening when three men suddenly attacked him. The assailants struck him with a sharp-edged weapon on his left shoulder and roughed him up in an attempt to rob him. However, when they found no cash in his possession, they turned to his mobile phone.
The gang snatched his smartphone, forced him to reveal his Paytm (a platform for digital payments) password and transferred ₹7,200 from his account to one belonging to Ritu Devi. The unusual digital theft provided investigators with the crucial lead they needed.
“Instead of making a clean escape, the accused left behind a UPI transaction trail which made our job easier. Tracing the money transfer directly linked us to the suspects,” said ASI Harbans Singh, investigating officer at the Sadar police station.
The accused were later identified as Jagjit Singh of Azad Nagar, Dhruv Kumar of Barota Road, Shimlapuri, and Lavi, a resident of Azad Nagar, Ludhiana. An FIR under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at the Sadar police station, and further investigation is underway.
The complainant is recovering at the civil hospital, Mandi Ahmedgarh.
