₹5 lakh looted from pvt cash van in Sangrur
SANGRUR:TWO motorcycle-borne men looted Rs 5 lakh from a cash van after firing at its guard near Bhai Gurdas College on the national highway-64 (Zirakpurbathinda), around 9km from the district town, on Friday.
The incident took place at 11.30am when a private company’s van was going to Bhawanigarh town to upload cash in an ATM (automated teller machine) of the Axis Bank.
Police said the unidentified miscreants were following the van from Sangrur and they first fired at the van’s tyre. Then they fired at the guard of the van and looted cash from four other employees present in the vehicle.
The injured guard has been identified as Sukhpal Singh, who was rushed to the Sangrur civil hospital, from where doctors referred him to the Rajindra hospital, Patiala.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg said, “They fired a bullet at the guard’s head and looted around Rs 5 lakh. The security has been tightened in the surrounding areas and the police of other districts have also been informed.”
He added, “We are probing the matter from different angles and will soon arrest the culprits.”
The cops said the criminals had covered their faces. One of them was wearing a helmet and the other a turban.
Police registered a case against unidentified persons under Sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act at the sadar police station, Sangrur.
2nd incident in two months The incident comes within two months of another incident of cash van loot in Sangrur. On May 14, two bikers with covered faces fired at a guard outside an ATM in Sangrur, snatched Rs 9 lakh and the guard’s rifle before fleeing
The incident took place at IDBI ATM at the local CL Tower when a private company’s van arrived to upload cash in the machine. The police have failed to arrest the accused so far.