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3 kabaddi players among four snatchers arrested in Ludhiana
The three players met at Kabaddi tournaments and decided to execute snatchings to get easy money and later involved the other accused with them.
The city police arrested four members of a gang of snatchers, including three kabaddi players, on Tuesday and recovered weapons and vehicles from their possession, which were used in executing crimes.
Those arrested were identified as Kulwinder Singh alias Vicky, 30, of Shehzad village; Lalit Kumar alias Lally, 22, of Lohara village, Davinder Singh alias Babbu, 22, of Lohara village and Surjit Singh alias Somi, 33, of Basant Nagar.
The police have also booked their accomplices identified as Jagjit Singh alias Jaggu, 24; Jaspreet Singh, 26, (both from Shehzad village) and Bablu Chauhan, 20, a resident of Gurpal Nagar. They are yet to be arrested and are on the run.
Addressing the media, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Surendra Lamba said the Shimlapuri police had pasted posters of the accused in the area and also uploaded their images on social media. After getting a tip off, the four accused were arrested while three others are yet to be arrested, he said. “The team recovered a .32 pistol, five live cartridges, two sharp-edged weapons and two motorcycles which were used in crime from their possession,” he said.
Lamba further said that as of now, three cases of snatching were traced against the accused. The cases under Section 379-B (snatching) of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act were registered against them at Shimlapuri and Daba police stations. The accused will be produced before a court on Wednesday and the police will seek their remand for interrogation, the ADCP said.
HOW WAS THE GANG FORMED
Among those arrested, Kulwinder, Lalit and Davinder were kabaddi players. Last year, Kulwinder’s brother Gurinder Singh alias Tittu committed suicide after getting hooked to heroin. Gurinder had also bought a pistol (which has now been recovered), which Kulwinder later used in crimes.
Gurinder was the bread earner of the family. After his death, Kulwinder was under a financial burden. Although, he was working at a garment manufacturing unit, he wanted to earn easy money.
During kabaddi tournaments, he came in contact with Lalit and Davinder who also belonged to economically-backward families. Inspector Davinder Singh, SHO at Shimlapuri said that the three players decided to execute snatchings to get easy money and later involved the other accused with them.
“The two bikes recovered belong to accused Surjit and Jagjit. Surjit used to find targets and the others in groups of four or five committed snatchings and fled on the motorcycles. The accused used the recovered weapons to threaten the victims. They used to sell the stolen mobiles to Bablu Chauhan who further sold them as second hand,” the SHO said.
CASES TRACED AGAINST ACCUSED
July 24 – Five accused attacked a gas cylinder supplier with a sharp-edged weapon, opened fire in the air and stole ₹44,090 and a mobile phone. A case under Section 379-B (theft) of the IPC and 25 of Arms Act was registered at Shimlapuri police station.
August 10 – Five accused stole four mobile phones and ₹12,000 by attacking a doctor in his clinic at Adarsh Colony. The case was registered under Section 379-B, 149 of IPC and 25 of Arms Act at Daba police station.
August 14 –Accused attacked a financer at Gobindsar area on Tibba Road and stole three mobile phones and some cash. A case under Section 379-B, 34B of the IPC and 25 of Arms Act was registered at Shimlapuri police station.
