Mohali: 3 nabbed for robbing gas agency cashier of ₹3.5 lakh on April 2

After targeting cashier of Punsup Gas Service on Randhawa Road, the accused had fled to Bihar; they had also opened fire to scare the victim during the robbery; probe on to recover cash, say police

Three persons have been arrested for robbing an LPG gas agency’s cashier of ₹3.5 lakh on Randhawa Road in Kharar on April 2, police officials said on Thursday. Those arrested have been identified as Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda (35), of Gharuan, Harpreet Singh, alias Happy (47), and Manpreet Singh, alias Bhau (37), both of Darpan City in Kharar.

An investigation is underway to recover the whole amount, say police. (HT Photo)

Police said that the accused had targeted Vipin Kumar, cashier of Punsup Gas Service, on Randhawa Road, assaulting him and even opening fire in the air using a countrymade pistol to scare him before taking away ₹3.5 lakh. They had procured the pistol from Meerut, officials from the Sadar Kharar police station said. According to the police, the accused fled towards a canal after the robbery, changed clothes and burnt their belongings used in the crime to destroy evidence. They later escaped towards Patna Sahib by train to avoid arrest.

Officials said that the accused had earlier visited the gas agency posing as customers. They conducted recce of the victim’s movements, tracked his cash collection pattern and mapped escape routes in advance.

Officials scanned CCTV footage near the crime scene and adjoining routes. The suspects were tracked through multiple cameras as they fled, but the trail went cold near the SYL canal due to lack of CCTV cameras in a nearby village. The accused were later identified on the basis of local inputs. They were arrested after they returned to Kharar.

Inspector Gurpreet Singh, station house officer, said, “Multiple police teams, along with special units, were there to arrest them. We examined CCTV footage and developed human intelligence after the trail went cold. The accused had planned the crime in advance. They were nabbed after returning to Kharar. Further investigation is underway to recover the whole amount.”