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Mohali police recover 70 laptops from gang that targeted students
Among the recoveries is also a Toyota Glanza that the accused used for fleeing after committing the thefts, said Mohali police
Police have busted a gang of thieves that had been stealing laptops and cash of students living in paying guest accommodations and hostels in the vicinity of Chandigarh University (CU), Gharuan.
As many as 70 laptops and ₹1 lakh cash have been recovered with the arrest of two gang members, identified as Pritpal Singh, alias Sonu, 42, and Namit Goel, 25, both hailing from Moga, Punjab.
Among the recoveries is also a Toyota Glanza that the accused used for fleeing after committing the thefts.
Sharing details, Kharar DSP Rupinder Kaur said Pritpal was arrested from Moga on March 8 following a tip-off, while Namit was nabbed on March 15. Pritpal was the gang’s kingpin and facing seven cases of laptops theft going back to 2014.
Both are graduates and belong to well-to-do families. While Pritpal’s wife and two children are settled in Canada, Namit was engaged recently. His mother is a government employee.
On why they committed the thefts, investigators said they were not hooked to drugs and took to crime for quick money. Pritpal changed his partners frequently and had recently roped in Namit in his gang.
Visited PG rooms posing as students’ relatives
Detailing the gang’s modus operandi, Gharuan SHO Simran Singh said the accused would visit paying guest accommodations and hostels in Gharuan on the pretext of queries regarding lodging for their relatives studying in nearby educational institutes.
While one gang member would engage the students in conversation, the other would stealthily nick their laptops and cash from their rooms. They made such attempts once or twice a month.
After committing the thefts, they would flee to Moga and hide the stolen valuables in a room.
For quick buck, they would sell off the laptops to students of educational institutions in Kharar and surrounding areas. The police are probing whether the duo was using a middleman to sell the stolen products or selling them online.
Police said the accused were wanted in a case of theft that took place in July last year, where they had stolen ₹40,000 from a paying guest accommodation. The complainant Saurabh had kept the money in his room for his college fees.
The accused were presented before a court that sent Pritpal to eight-day police remand and Namit to four-day remand. Through further interrogation, police will ascertain whether they targeted students in other cities as well.
