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Elderly farmer assaulted, robbed of Rs 5.5 lakh in Tarn Taran
The victim and his son were on their way back home after withdrawing cash from State Bank of India’s Bhikhiwind branch, when the incident took place.
Three bike-borne men snatched a bag, containing Rs 5.5 lakh, from an elderly man after assaulting him with sharp-edged weapons in Sadhra village of Bhikhwind subdivision on Monday afternoon.
The victim, Jarnail Singh, 70, a farmer of Bood Chand village, said that he, along with his son, Balwinder Singh, 45, were on their way back home after withdrawing cash from State Bank of India’s Bhikhiwind branch, when the incident took place.
“We had recently received payment for the crop that we sold to a trader. As the money was credited into my son’s account, we had gone to withdraw it. The cash was to be used to extend the contract of the land we have taken on lease,” Jarnail told the police.
“When we reached near Sadhra village, three masked men came on a bike and started attacking us. When we fell off our bike, the men snatched the bag from me and fled,” he said, adding that he received injuries on his hand and leg in the attack.
Jarnail’s son, Balwinder, said that he chased the miscreants and tried to nab them with the help of some passers-by, but failed.
A case under Section 379-B (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against unidentified persons, Bhikhiwind station house officer Gurcharan Singh said.
District sees rise in crimes
The incident comes two days after an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Punjab police was shot dead by armed robbers when he resisted the snatching of his son’s mobile phone near Kaka Kandiala village, situated on the outskirts of Tarn Taran city. There has also been a sudden spurt in cases of loot, snatching and theft in the district, leaving the residents anxious. According to information, as many as 16 cases of robbery and theft have been reported from the district in the last month alone. Besides, six murders and nine cases of attempt to murder have also come to fore from the district in the corresponding period.
