Ludhiana: Posing as cops, robbers take away ₹16 lakh from city man
A Delhi resident his six unidentified accomplices allegedly posed as police personnel and robbed a city resident of ₹16 lakh in a hotel near Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Inter State Bus Terminal. The assailants, posing as CIA officials, threatened the victim and his friend at gunpoint before escaping with the money.
The victim, Amarjeet Singh, 26, of Jain Colony, Rahon Road, later realised that the Delhi resident, Amit Kumar, was part of the conspiracy when he fled with imposters. The Model Town police have registered an FIR against Amit Kumar and his six unidentified accomplices based on Amarjeet Singh's complaint.
Amarjeet reported that his brother Damanpreet Singh wanted to settle abroad. They connected with a Delhi-based travel agent, Raj Verma, through mutual contacts. Verma demanded ₹16 lakh to arrange Damanpreet's immigration to Canada, with the condition that the payment would only be made once Damanpreet boarded the flight.
The travel agent claimed to have secured a visa for Damanpreet, who was scheduled to fly on December 22. On December 21, Verma informed Amarjeet that his employee Amit Kumar would go to Ludhiana to collect the payment.
Amarjeet said Amit Kumar stayed in a hotel near the bus stand. He was instructed to show him the cash and hand it over only after his brother's flight took off. "A friend, Gaurav Sharma, and I went to the hotel with the money and stayed in Amit's room. At around 3:30 am, Amit opened the hotel room door, allowing six unidentified men to storm in. Posing as CIA officials, the accused started searching the room. One of them brandished a gun, holding Amarjeet and Gaurav hostage. The imposters then fled with ₹16 lakh. Amit Kumar also fled with them," the complainant mentioned.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar said, "Initially, the incident seemed suspicious but a preliminary investigation confirmed the victim's claims. A case has been registered against the travel agent's employee Amit Kumar and his accomplices. The role of travel agent Raj Verma is also under investigation."
The Model Town police have filed a case under Sections 310 (2) (dacoity), 190 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of a common object) and 191(3) (rioting, armed with deadly weapons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.