Painter robs elderly couple of jewellery, cash in Kapurthala
Accused forced victims into a room & locked it from outside
A shocking robbery was reported from the upscale Sunny Side area on Mall Road in Kapurthala, where a house painter allegedly betrayed the trust of the family that had employed him, holding an elderly couple hostage for nearly five hours before fleeing with gold and diamond jewellery, cash and important documents.
According to the complaint lodged by the victims, the accused, identified as Ranjit Singh, a resident of Rajapur village, had been carrying out painting work at the house for the past 20 days. The family had known him from previous assignments and trusted him enough to allow him regular access to their residence.
The incident allegedly occurred around 3 pm on July 8 when homeowner Pawan Kumar and his wife were resting in their room. The police said the accused suddenly entered the room armed with an iron rod, snatched their mobile phones and repeatedly assaulted Pawan Kumar, causing serious injuries. When his wife tried to intervene and raised an alarm, the accused allegedly pulled out a revolver, pointed it at her head and threatened to shoot her.
Investigators said the accused initially attempted to confine the woman in a bathroom. When the couple resisted, he allegedly forced both victims into a room and locked it from the outside. The elderly couple remained confined for nearly five hours while the accused searched the house, broke open cupboards and lockers, and fled with gold and diamond jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees, a substantial amount of cash and important documents.
The crime came to light around 8 pm when Pawan Kumar’s son, Rohit, and grandson returned home and found the main entrance open. After unlocking the room, they discovered the elderly couple injured and in a state of shock. A search of the house revealed that lockers had been broken open and valuables were missing.
In his complaint, Pawan Kumar alleged that after fleeing the scene, the accused sent a voice message to his son threatening the family with serious consequences. The police are examining the CCTV footage from neighbouring houses, which reportedly shows the accused leaving the area on a motorcycle after the crime.
Confirming the case, Amandeep, Station House Officer (SHO) of Kapurthala city police station, said an FIR had been registered against the accused under relevant sections pertaining to wrongful confinement, attempt to murder, robbery and the Arms Act on the basis of the victim’s statement.
Special police teams have been conducting raids at the accused’s suspected hideouts, including Rajapur village. The police said the CCTV footage and mobile phone location data were being analysed as part of the investigation and expressed confidence that the accused would be arrested soon and the stolen property recovered.
