A cash bag containing Rs 6.25 lakh was snatched from the owner of the famous sweets brand Gopal’s the other day in Sector 8. The crime could possibly have been added to the list of many similarly snatchings which have remained unsolved, but for discernible footage obtained from an area CCTV camera, which helped the Chandigarh police crack the case within 48 hours. It turned out to be another inside job with one of the three accused youths arrested being a former security guard with the Gopal’s who left the job in January this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The swift cracking of the case has once again brought to focus the urgent need for covering the entire city with a network of high resolution CCTV cameras monitored real time from zonal monitoring stations. The prompt solving of the case also gave much needed respite to the city police which has of late been the butt of public criticism over the deteriorating law and order situation, especially a spate of unabated snatching incidents.
Photo By : Life In Chandigarh
Senior Superintendent of Police Nilambari Vijay told media persons that Rs 4.43 lakh of the snatched cash had been recovered alongwith the getaway Honda Activa scooter used by the accused in the crime. The rest of the money was spent by the accused in paying off debt and in merry making, she added.
The cash bag was snatched from Sharanjit Singh, owner of Gopal’s, around 9:15 p.m. on April 17, after chilli powder was sprayed in the eyes of his guard Dalip. The two were nearing Sharanjit’s car in the parking opposite the shop when two youths pounced on them. The youths were chased but they got away on a scooter being driven by their accomplice who was waiting nearby.
The SSP said the youths had apparently been doing a recce of the area from a few days prior to the crime and the suspicious movement of two of them was captured in the CCTV footage, which helped the police immensely.
All three accused, Nitish Singh alias Niki (28), Janak Singh alias Lucky (32) and Deepak alias Deepu (21), had been living in village Kaimbwala in the Union Territory for many years but were originally from neighbouring states like Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Nitish was the brain behind the crime as he aware about the movement of cash of his former employers. He had been recruited through a security agency and had left the job by his own volition in January this year.
The SSP informed that Nitish and Deepak had previous history of petty crimes like drinking in public and involvement in a brawl. All three were addicted to alcohol and drugs, she claimed.
Advertisement
Nilambari Vijay informed that personnel from the police stations and PCR vehicles were especially focussing on the markets while patrolling their respective areas in view of the vulnerability of these places.
