Ludhiana: 30 pose as health department staffers; rob ₹5 lakh

According to Ludhiana police, the accused were hired by a rival of the victim’s family with an intention to take possession of the house

At least 30 people, including women, impersonating as staffers of health department robbed ₹5 lakh and gold jewellery, besides other items from a house in Satjot Nagar at Dhandhra Road after overpowering a female occupant of the residence.

The miscreants also took away five laptops, five LCDs, 300 gm gold jewelry from the house in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The miscreants also took away five laptops, five LCDs, 300 gm gold jewelry from the house on Thursday. They also damaged all CCTVs installed in the house and stole the digital video recorder from the house.

According to the police, the accused were hired by a rival of the victim’s family with an intention to take possession of the house.

The police have arrested six accused, including three women, while the rest of the accused have managed to escape.

The arrested accused have been identified as Raminder Singh of Ayali Kalan village, Harpreet Singh of Daad village, Gurdeep Singh of Parkash Colony, Hardeep Kaur of Azad Nagar, Paramjit Kaur of Ladda Kothi of Sangrur and Soni Bharat of Sachra Mohalla of Phagwara.

Their aides have been identified as Barinderjit Singh of Lalton Kalan village, Pritpal Singh of Kheri Jhameri village, Gurmeet Kaur, Satnam Singh, Surinder Saggu, while at least 20 other accused are yet to be identified.

The FIR has been lodged following the statement of Ranjit Kaur, 55. The woman stated that on Thursday, two women posing as health department staffers knocked at the door.

They enquired if all members of the family are vaccinated against coronavirus. Meanwhile, one of the women asked her for one glass of water. As she turned around to fetch a glass of water, at least 30 men and women barged in the house.

The woman stated that the accused overpowered her and robbed ₹5 lakh and took away other items from the house. The accused loaded the material in a pickup auto and fled. Meanwhile, the locals gathered there and nabbed six of the accused, while the rest of the accused managed to escape.

Inspector Gurpreet Singh, SHO at police station Sadar, said the complainant stated that they have a dispute over the property with accused Barinderjit Singh of Lalton Kalan and the case is in the court. The accused hired the accused to take illegal possession of the house.

A case under sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 448 (house-trespass), 511 (attempt to commit offences), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 380 (theft in dwelling house, etc) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the IPC has been lodged against the accused at Sadar police station.