Accused uses victim’s debit card, withdraws ₹91K in 2 days
AMRITSAR: The police have booked a Kharar resident for allegedly kidnapping a Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) assistant professor.
The accused, Jazzinder Singh Virk, alias Garry, 30, of Dashmesh Nagar in Kharar, Mohali, allegedly sought ₹3-lakh ransom from 31-year-old Sukhpreet Kaur’s parents on Thursday evening.
Police investigation has revealed that accused has so far withdrawn ₹91,000 from Sukhpreet’s account using her debit card. The money was withdrawn from ATMS in Mohali, Nawanshahr, Beas and Patel Nagar in New Delhi.
“The last withdrawal was made from an ATM in Patel Nagar, Delhi, on Sunday. Sukhpreet’s account now has only ₹9 balance. The victim’s brother had recently deposited ₹25,000 in her account, said the official, adding that the accused used her debit card thrice at a single ATM in Nawanshahr on Saturday. The accused kept his face covered while entering all ATM vestibules, he said.
“The accused, an alumnus of Lawrence School, Sanawar, has so far been able to dodge the police even as we are continuously tracking his location. We don’t want to do anything in haste keeping in mind the victim’s safety. We hope she is alive,” said the official. The accused has a criminal past and had been booked under the NDPS Act at the Kharar police station.
Teams of Amritsar police have been raiding the possible hideouts of the accused in across the state and Delhi.
According to the police, Sukhpreet, an assistant professor of Hindi, left the university on Monday for her native place in Moga’s Baghapurana but didn’t reach home.
Her father told the police that a man had called him from Sukhpreet mobile phone and demanded ₹3 lakh for her release following which a case under Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Indian Penal Code was registered.
The case took a new turn on Saturday when the police found a letter from Sukhpreet’s hostel room on the university campus in which she said she was going to meet Jazzinder at Dark Chocolate Room or Subway, both eating joints, located in the market opposite the university.
She also mentioned Garry’s address, phone number and names of his parents, saying that he borrowed money from her and she was going to collect the amount. She even mentioned that Garry will be responsible if anything happens to her.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage shows her sitting with Garry inside Dark Chocolate Room on the day she was allegedly kidnapped, said the police, adding that they left the place together. CHANDIGARH : A Punjab police team is on the way to Canada to get the custody of Malkiat Kaur and her brother Surjit Singh Badesha from Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Jassi murder case.
Malkiat is accused of getting her daughter Jaswinder Kaur Jassi killed, in June 2000 near Jagraon in connivance with her brother.
A team led by Kanwardeep Kaur will bring back both to India and would face trial in a Sangrur trial court in the honour killing of Jassi.
Canada-born Jaswinder Kaur fell in love with Jassi in 1994 and both maried secretely in a 1999. Jassi mother was oposed to the marriage.
In 2002, the Punjab police sought extradition Jassi mother and maternal uncle which was rejected by the Supreme Court of British Columbia but finally last week, the Supreme Court of Canada extradition of both the accused.
In 2005, the Sangrur court had sentenced seven accused to life imprisonment for murdering Jassi.