Sector 23 goldsmith attack: Three suspects held, two prime suspects still at large

Sector 23 goldsmith attack: Three suspects held, two prime suspects still at large

Harshabab Sidhu
Nabaz-e-Punjab, Mohali, December 15:
Mohali police have arrested three accomplices of the robbers, who shot a goldsmith in Sector 23, Chandigarh on December 9. The police have also traced the two prime suspects, identified as Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Nagoke village in Tarn Taran and Pargat Singh, a resident of Urban Estate Phase 2, Patiala. A special team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (investigation) Gurcharan Singh claimed to have cracked the case, which was being investigated by the Chandigarh as well as Mohali police for the last few days.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Baljit Singh alias Balli and Balwinder Singh alias Billa, both residents of Fazilka and Preetinder Singh, a resident of Budhlada in Mansa. The trio was working in the real estate business together, said the police. Balli was also working with an animation company.
Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh informed that Lovepreet and Pargat along with Jaspreet Singh had committed the crime in Sector 23, Chandigarh. Later on, the duo killed their partner Jaspreet Singh as they got feared of being arrested when the identity of Jaspreet was revealed by the police.
“We have arrested the accomplices of prime suspects, who used to help them in each crime. The prime suspects, Lovepreet and Pargat will ne nabbed soon. On the day of Chandigarh incident, the arrested persons also helped them. During their interrogation they confessed that they used to help Lovepreet and Pargat in hiding. They were also allowing them to use their bank accounts for depositing the looted amount. Also, Lovepreet, Pargat and Jaspreet used to offer them some share of the looted amount,” said the SSP.
The SSP also added that Lovepreet and Pargat killed Jaspreet to hide their identities and to prevent their arrests as the Chandigarh and Mohali police were after Jaspreet Singh.
On December 9, a goldsmith was shot at by the assailants at his shop in the busy Sector 23 market. The suspects, who wanted to rob the victim, arrived at his shop on the pretext of selling gold. After shooting the goldsmith, the assailants had fled from the spot, which was also recorded in the CCTV footage.
A few hours after this incident, the Sohana police found a body in Sohana, which later turned out to be that of one of the suspects in the Sector 23 firing incident. The dead body of Jaspreet Singh was found inside his Tata Tiago car in Sector 86 on Nanumajra village road. Jaspreet had two bullet marks on his head. A case was registered in this regard under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC and the 25-54-59 of the Arms Act at the Sohana police station.
Suspects also involved in carjacking:
SSP Satinder Singh also informed that the suspects were also involved in the carjacking, that took place on November 11. The suspects firstly took away the Ford Endeavour from Jaspreet Singh at gun point and after that they dismantled the parts of SUV. A case was registered in this regard at the Sohana police station.
“We have recovered the SUV’s stepney along with an electronic device of the owner from the possession of the arrested persons. The SUV will be recovered soon,” said the SSP.