Five more held for robbing Mandi Gobindgarh trader

The police busted a gang of robbers involved in snatchings and robberies in the area with the arrest of seven alleged members. Two of their associates, meanwhile, are on the run.

The team recovered Rs 8 lakh from that the accused had stolen along with three pistols.

They also impounded a Maruti Suzuki Swift car which was allegedly provided to them by gangster Mani Bhinder.

More cases of robberies are likely to be solved with the arrest of the gang’s members, who have since been identified as Basant Singh, Jai Deep Singh, Manpreet Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Uma Shankar, Ajay and Jaspal Singh all residents of Moga, Punjab.

Addressing the media, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Subham Aggarwal said six car-borne youths struck at the office of an iron trader at Mandi Gobindgarh town and robbed Rs 11.5 Lakh at gunpoint before fleeing. He said an SIT led by Rakesh Yadav Superintendent of Police (SP, Investigation), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP, D) Nikhil Garg and DSP Gurdeep Singh was formed.

He said the CIA staff got the information that two suspicious persons on a Splendor bike are roaming in Mandi Gobindgarh town. He said a police party led by Mandi Gobindgarh station house officer (SHO) Arshdeep Sharma and CIA staff Sirhind set up a check-post near Focal Point and signaled two youths to stop for checking but they tried to flee and the police party followed them.

He further said they opened fire at the police party and the police team in self-defence opened fire and both of them were injured.

They were identified as Jaideep and Basant residents of Moga. He said that during their interrogation they revealed that they were involved in the robbing cash from a trader and also about their gang indulging in snatchings and lootings. He said that seven more persons were nominated in the FIR.

Rakesh Yadav SP(D) said that all of them contacted gangster Mani Bhinder who provided them with pistols and the car without a number plate.

He added that all those involved are misguided and unemployed youths. Efforts are being made to arrest their two remaining accomplices.