Punjab: 2 liquor vends robbed of over ₹90,000 in Barnala

Similar bid witnessed at two more liquor vends in the district; hunt on for three suspects who managed to take away ₹70,000 from a unit near the Barnala jail road and ₹22,000 from another vend in Sukhpura Maur village

Three persons robbed ₹70,000 from a liquor vend near the Barnala jail road, ₹22,000 from another vend in Sukhpura Maur village in Tapa besides unsuccessfully targeting two more such facilities in the district on Saturday, police officials said.

Picture of one of the suspects released by the Barnala police.

Barnala deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Satvir Singh said efforts are being made to arrest the three suspects.

The first incident was reported from a liquor vend in Badbar village where three persons arrived on a bike. While one of them with covered face, armed with a country-made pistol, stood guard outside, the other two threatened the salesman and directed him to hand over all the cash to them. One of them used a blunt weapon to smash the vend’s protective grill. To intimidate bystanders, the suspect outside fired a shot into the air. The trio fled the scene when a crowd began to gather.

An FIR has been registered under Sections 309(4) (related to robbery), 62 (attempt to commit offence), 324(4) (mischief), 125 (endangering life) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along relevant sections of the Arms Act, at the Dhanaula police station.

In Tapa’s Sukhpura Maur village, the accused robbed a liquor vend’s salesman of nearly ₹22,000. DSP Gurpreet Singh Singh said the Sehna police station registered an FIR under Section 309 (4), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) of the BNS.

He added that a robbery bid was reported from Dhillwan village for which another FIR under relevant sections has been registered.