Ludhiana’s ‘stealing machine’ aka Peepa lands in police net

A vehicle lifter, infamous as stealing machine, was on Monday arrested, along with his aide, seven days after he got out on bail.

Police have recovered seven stolen motorcycles on the basis of information obtained from the duo. The accused, the police said, had prepared a master key for opening locks of vehicles and used to steal three to four bikes in a single day.

The accused have been identified as Pardeep Singh alias Peepa, 22, of Kailash Nagar road’s Shimla Colony and Jaspal Singh alias Lucky, 20, of New Shimla Colony.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) (City-1) Gurpreet Singh Sikand said Basti Jodhewal police arrested the accused during a special checking near Satsang Ghar on Kailash Nagar road. “The accused were passing through the area on a motorcycle when they were stopped for checking,” he added.

“As they failed to produce documents of the vehicle, cops grew suspicious and questioned them. It was then that they confessed that the bike was a stolen one. They also shared with us information about seven other motorcycles that they had stolen from various points of the city, including Rakh Bagh and mini-secretariat. However, four vehicles are yet to be recovered,” he added.

The ADCP said that the accused used to steal only Hero Splendor motorcycles.

Sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur said Pardeep was an addict and used to execute such crimes to meet his need of drugs. “He was lodged in the Ludhiana Central Jail for vehicle lifting and had come out on bail on October 13. Minutes after his release, he managed to steal three motorcycles,” she added.

“Pardeep used to sell the stolen vehicles to students for ₹5,000, of which he would demand ₹2,000 as advance claiming that the vehicle belongs to his friend. Pardeep used to promise the buyers that he would take the remaining money after handing over documents of the vehicle to them,” she further said.