Ludhiana: Shopkeeper, snatcher held with 39 cell phones

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 27

The Ludhiana police today nabbed a notorious mobile snatcher within hours of the snatching incident. The quick investigation led to the arrest of a mobile phone showroom owner, who used to buy snatched mobile phones from the accused, with the recovery of 39 cell phones.

The accused have been identified as Pardeep Kumar, alias Abhi (32), of Kot Mangal Singh Nagar and Prince Chadha (22), owner of Prince Telecom at Baba Deep Singh Nagar. One of the accomplices of Pardeep, Kalu of Shimlapuri, is yet to be arrested.

The police also recovered a motorcycle (bearing registration no. PB07U 2137) of the snatcher, which was being used for committing the crimes.

Joint Commissioner of Police (City) Narinder Bhargav, ADCP-3 Pragya Jain, ACP Harish Behal and other officials addressed a press conference in this regard.

The JCP (City) said on May 26, Gurpreet Singh of Preet Nagar lodged a complaint that two motorcycle- borne snatchers had snatched his mobile phone from near the Dhuri Railway Lines. The police after registering a case, started a probe in the matter.

After getting a tip-off, ASI Jarnail Singh laid a trap on the same day and intercepted two motorcycle-borne suspects. When the police gave a signal to the duo to stop the vehicle for checking, Kalu jumped from the motorcycle and managed to give the slip to the police while Pardeep was nabbed and the snatched mobile of Gurpreet was recovered from them.

During the interrogation, Pardeep confessed that he, along with his Kalu, had been looting mobiles for the past several months and they had committed over 50 snatchings. After snatching cell phones, they used to sell them to the shopkeeper.

When the police conducted a raid on Prince Telecom, it’s owner was nabbed and 38 more mobiles, which the snatchers had sold to him at cheap rates were also recovered. Prince admitted that he had sold several mobile phones bought from snatchers to his clients, said Bhargav.

The JCP said now, the police would trace owners of the recovered mobiles and the same would be handed over to them.