Gas agency employee robbed of ₹11.65 lakh in Ludhiana
LUDHIANA: In yet another broaddaylight robbery, three motorcycle-borne masked men robbed a gas agency employee of ₹11.65 lakh cash in Lohara of Daba here on Monday morning.
The victim was going to the bank on his scooter to deposit the cash in the company’s account.
After the miscreants fled the spot, Pawandeep Singh (28) informed the owner of Bachan Gas Agency, Manjit Singh, who then alerted the police. On being informed, cops reached the spot and started investigation. They scanned the CCTVs installed in the area to trace the miscreants.
On being questioned by the police, Pawandeep told them that he collects money from the godown and office of the agency and deposits the same at the Gill Road branch of State Bank of India. As the bank was closed on Saturday and Sunday, he had more cash to deposit on Monday.
Around 9.30am, he kept the money in his scooter’s boot and left for the bank. When he reached near Sukhdev Nagar in Lohara, three masked men, who were already waiting for him, intercepted him.
Pawandeep said the miscreants assaulted him with a blunt weapon following which he fell on the road. The accused opened the boot, robbed the cash and took off within minutes.
Agency owner Manjit said Pawandeep has been working with the company for the past eight years and used to carry cash to the bank from different routes on rotational basis to avoid being robbed.
Industrial Area-B assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Sandeep Wadehra said the circumstances suggest that the robbers were aware about the fact that Pawandeep used to carry heavy cash with him every Monday. They also knew that he used to keep the money in the boot of the scooter. “The accused did not even ask Pawandeep to hand over the money. They just opened the boot, took the cash and escaped,” the ACP said.
He added that it is suspected that either the accused were following Pawandeep for a long time or some employees of the agency are involved in the crime. The police are questioning Pawandeep.
A case of robbery has been registered against the unidentified accused at Daba police station.