Two more held in Rs 23.5-lakh Ladhuwal toll plaza robbery

Jalandhar, July 27

A day after the Jalandhar police arrested two of the robbers involved in the robbery of Rs 23.5 lakh from a toll plaza staffer at Ladhuwal, two more accused were nabbed on Thursday. The police have also seized Rs 15,34,500, 30 intoxicating injections, 500 grams of intoxicating powder, two sharp-edged weapons and a motorcycle from them.

Notably, five armed men robbed Ladhuwal toll plaza manager Sudakar Singh of Rs 23.5 lakh near the Phillaur bus stand on Monday. The arrested men have been identified as Manpreet Salhan, a resident of Mehrampur Batauli village in Banga; Gurjit Singh, a resident of Loharan village in Goraya; Vipin Kumar, a resident of Ghurrka in Goraya; and Sunny Kumar Bangar, a resident of Bharo Majra village in Mukandpur.

After Manpreet and Gurjit’s arrest, Vipin and Sunny Kumar Bangar were arrested today. A case under Section 379 B (2) of the IPC was registered at the Phillaur police station on July 24. Another case under Section 22 C of the NDPS Act was registered at the Phillaur police station against Sunny Bangar today after the recovery of intoixicants from him.

The police said the fifth accused, Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Phagwara was still at large, and would be arrested soon. Jalandhar (rural) SSP Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, accompanied by Phillaur DSP Jagdish Raj, said Vipin Kumar was the mastermind of the crime and he along with other accused robbed the toll palza manager on July 24 by intercepting his car and threatening him with shap edeged weapons.

The SSP said Manpreet received a share of 1,05,000 and Gurjit Rs 95,000 while the rest of the money was with mastermind Vipin and his associates.

During a special operation, Vipin was arrested with Rs 8,10,000 and 30 intoxicating injections and Sunny Kumar Bangar with Rs 5,24,000 and 500 gm intoxicating powder.

The SSP said during investigation, Vipin revealed that he was earlier employed as an ambulance driver at the toll plaza and he was privy to information as to how the toll manager collected the money, and how and to which bank he deposited it. Armed with this information, he planned out an elaborate heist to rob this money, along with his aides.