Kapurthala family robbed of Rs 52 lakh

Tribune News Service

Zirakpur, November 30

A gang of armed miscreants and a "fake" travel agent allegedly robbed five members of a Kapurthala-based family of Rs 52 lakh in Zirakpur late last night.

The assailants also attacked two members of the family and forcibly took away their Swift car along with the cash. The car was later found abandoned in Sector 22, Chandigarh, this afternoon.

The incident occurred on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway outside Lucky Dhaba. Patiala-based travel agent Harry and his armed accomplices attacked Sukhdev Singh and Baldev Singh, who were sitting in the Swift car. The victims were guarding a bag containing Rs 52 lakh, which they had to deliver to Harry and his partner Wazir Singh Rana.

In their complaint to the police, the victims said Punjab Singh, a resident of Dham village in Kapurthala district, was in touch with Wazir Singh Rana for the past over five years.

Rana and Ranjit Singh, Punjab Singh's nephew, were extradited by the Canadian government in an illegal immigration case four years ago, said Sukhdev Singh and Baldev Singh.

Punjab Singh's three nephews -- Manjinder Singh, Harpreet Singh and Varinder Singh -- wanted to go to Canada in search of work and he asked Rana to help them.

A few days ago, Rana asked Punjab Singh to meet his partner Harry in Flat No. 1344, Progressive Housing Society, Sector 50, Chandigarh.

It was decided that Punjab Singh would hand over the payment of Rs 52 lakh to Harry in Zirakpur while Rana would arrange the legal documents for Manjinder Singh, Harpreet Singh and Varinder Singh at the Delhi airport, where they were asked to come.

Last night, Punjab Singh and his relatives -- Baldev Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Joga Singh and Darshan Singh -- met Harry at the Progressive Housing Society flat in Sector 50 and counted the money.

All of them then drove to Zirakpur to make the payment to his other partners, who were to meet them in a housing colony on the Patiala road.

Anil Sharma, Superintendent of Police, said after reaching Zirakpur, Joga Singh and Darshan Singh were asked to get food from a dhaba while Harry, Punjab Singh and the others proceeded ahead.

As their car reached near Swastik Vihar, a housing colony, Harry took Punjab Singh along with him on the pretext of meeting a person known to him in the colony.

In the meantime, some unidentified armed youths reached the spot in a Lancer car and attacked the car occupants and took away the bag containing the money, the SP said.

As the injured raised the alarm, Harry turned up at the spot and sped away with the car, leaving Punjab Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Baldev Singh behind, he said.

Deepinder Singh, SHO, said the injured approached a police party on night patrolling on the highway following which the police chased the car, but to no avail.

The SHO said the police received information about a Swift car lying abandoned in Sector 22, Chandigarh, this afternoon. Accompanied by the victims, the police reached Chandigarh and recovered the vehicle.

A case has been registered against Wazir Singh Rana, Harry and their accomplices on a complaint of Punjab Singh at the Zirakpur police station.