6kg gold, cash looted from Batala jeweller's house

Panic prevailed in posh Basant Avenue colony in Batala after seven-eight unidentified persons barged into the house of a jeweller and made off with 6kg gold ornaments, 20kg silver ornaments and unspecified amount in cash on Wednesday.

On receiving information, Batala SSP Gurkirpal Singh reached the spot with a dog squad and team of fingerprint experts.

It was learnt that at around 3pm, two turbaned and five-six clean-shaven persons with covered faces barged into the house of Aman Luthra and pointed pistols at his mother Meeta and wife Jyoti.

The suspects snatched their mobiles phones and after tying them and their six-year-old daughter started looking for valuables.

They spotted a secret chest and tried to open it. On failing to open the lock, they pointed a pistol at Aman's daughter and demanded the keys to the chest from Jyoti.

In her statement to police, Meeta Luthra said his son Aman had gone to participate in a protest rally. As the main gate of the house was not locked, the suspects easily gained entry. Owing to the ongoing strike of jewellers, many had taken their jewellery to their residences.

She said that after looting gold, silver and diamond ornaments from the chest, one of suspects forced her and her daughter-in-law to remove their gold and diamond ornaments.

After snatching their ornaments, mobiles phones, cash and other valuables, the miscreants locked them in a room and fled, she added.

When contacted, DIG border range Ram Singh, who reached the spot late in the evening, said the police were tracking the two mobiles phones which the suspects took along.

He said a team under Batala SSP Gurkirpal Singh, DSP (city) Baljeet Singh, CIA incharge Naurang Singh and SHO (city) Thakur Baldev Singh has been set up to investigate the case.

The DIG said on the basis of information provided by the victims, police were hopeful of solving the case soon.