Miscreant loot cloth shop owner, nabbed by police within hours

The Majitha Road police have nabbed a notorious snatcher within two hours after he robbed a cloth trader at gunpoint here. The police have recovered a toy pistol from his possession, a snatched purse, Rs 1,000 cash and the bike used in the crime.

He was identified as Mandeep Singh, alias Nanu of Bagh Ramanand area. He has as many as eight criminal cases registered against him and he came out on bail in July this year after three years of imprisonment.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Alam Vijay Singh said Vishal Uppal of Gopal Nagar area told the police that he runs a woman garment store in Gopal Nagar area. He said yesterday he was at his shop when the accused came posing as a customer and asked to show some dresses. He said when he was showing dresses, the youth took out a pistol and threatened to shoot him. He fled the scene after taking his purse from the cash box.

He said the Majitha Road police registered a case and started a probe. He was arrested from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital’s backside within a couple of hours of the incident with the help of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. He said he had eight cases under the NDPS Act and snatchings registered against him.