Man arrested for UCO bank robbery-murder

Jalandhar, October 19

The Jalandhar rural police have arrested a suspect involved in the UCO Bank robbery at Kalra village in Adampur and recovered Rs 39,500 from his possession.

SSP Dr Sandeep Kumar Garg said Surjit Singh, alias Jeeta, a resident of Adamwal, Hoshiarpur, was arrested by the Jalandhar rural police and the CIA staff from Neher Puli Khurdpur on October 18.

On October 15, Surjit along with three of his associates had robbed Rs 5.97 lakh from the bank before gunning down 50-year-old guard Surinder Pal Singh.

The police have found three recent incidents — two bank robberies and a snatching — linked to the gang. The gang members have over 25 cases registered against them. They had looted Rs 17 lakh in the heists at Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar between September 4 and October 15. Days before the Adampur robbery, they had snatched a bike from the highway.

The SSP said while the gang had five members, only four were present during the UCO robbery. The gang looted Rs 10.8 lakh from Indian Overseas Bank at Hoshiarpur, snatched a Pulsar bike from a highway at Tanda Urmur 3-4 days before the Adampur robbery, and looted Rs 5.69 lakh from Punjab and Sindh Bank at Bhagowal village in Hoshiarpur on September 4.

During investigation, Surjit Singh said they robbed nearly Rs 6 lakh out of which he got a share of Rs 45,000. The police have recovered Rs 39,000 from him. The police also recovered a new Activa scooter bought from the heist money. — TNS