Swindlers strike twice, car occupants lose valuables

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 10

In two separate incidents, unidentified miscreants managed to steal bags containing cash and valuables from vehicles after fooling their occupants here on Tuesday. The police suspect it to be a handiwork of the same gang.

In one of the incidents, a woman’s purse containing Rs 5 lakh and 70-gram gold was stolen.

The first incident was reported in the afternoon when the victim, Himanshu Barthwal, who is director of an immigration company, had gone to Sector 22 for some work. A person and his accomplice knocked at the window of his Innova and told him that he has dropped his money outside the vehicle.

The victim stepped out of the car to pick the money when one of the accused opened its rear door and stole a bag containing laptop and 1,000 US dollars.

The victim informed the police about the incident, following which cops analysed the footage of CCTV cameras installed outside showrooms.

In one of the cameras, two miscreants were seen stealing the bag from the Innova. The incident was reported around 12 noon.

The other incident was reported at around 7 pm in the Sector 22 market.

The police said the complainant, Sawinder Singh, a resident of Mohali, was sitting in his SUV, along with his wife, when a person came and knocked at the window.

The miscreant told the complainant that one Ram Chander was calling him. As the complainant got down, two other miscreants stole a purse, containing Rs 5 lakh cash and 70-gram gold, lying in the SUV.

The police have registered cases and initiated investigation into these.