Man robbed of car, phone at gunpoint in Mohali, 4 booked

A local resident was robbed of his car and a mobile phone at gunpoint by four people in Sector 86, Mohali, on Saturday morning. The Sohana police have booked four people, including a woman, in this regard.

The victim has been identified as Baljinder Singh, 33, of Sector 111, TDI, who works at Mohali Club and was returning home.

“After my shift, I had gone out with my friend to eat food outside a mall in Phase 11. On my way back home, I stopped my Hyundai i20 car to attend nature’s call near 86/79 intersection around 4.15 am. While I was about to sit in my car, a Swift Dzire car stopped in front of my vehicle and a woman stepped out and asked for directions to Kharar. While I was guiding her, one of them sitting inside the car took out my car keys. Pointing a pistol towards me, he sat in my car. The woman sat next to him, and they all escaped towards Landran highway in both the cars,” the victim said.

He said since they had a weapon, he did not resist much, adding that he had to walk back home for around 8 km.

The victim said that fearing the worst, no one gave him a lift. After reaching home, he informed the police control room following which a PCR and Sohana police contacted him.

The police teams are scrutinising the CCTV cameras near the spot to trace the escape route of the accused.

All the accused have been booked under sections 304 (snatching is the act of forcibly taking away movable property), and 3(5) (act done by several persons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Sohana police station.

Police suspect handiwork of same gang

However, the police are investigating if it is the handiwork of the same gang that reportedly kidnapped a junior technical assistant working at National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, and extorted ₹95,000 from him besides a mobile phone and watch on July 13.

In the earlier incident, the victim, Ranvir Singh Rathore, a resident of Milk Colony, Dhanas, was stopped at the Phase 8/9 traffic lights while returning home from work. A woman asked him for directions to the Fortis Hospital and four men entered his car, pushed him away, and drove his car towards the Phase 8/9 road.

Police later arrested one of the accused in the case from Sunam.

Snatching and carjacking incidents increase during winters, mostly in the wee hours or late evenings. With the winter approaching, the Mohali Police have increased the number of PCR vehicles across the district from 15 to 30.

Past carjacking incidents

October 7: A cab driver was robbed of his car and a mobile phone by two men posing as passengers at gunpoint near the Sector 85-86 chowk in Mohali around 4 am. The accused were arrested by the police

September 29: Three men robbed a taxi driver of his cab in a service lane near Chatt light point in Zirakpur. The accused were later arrested.

July 21: A cab driver was robbed of his car, two mobiles and ₹2,400 by four men posing as passengers near Delhi Public School, Chappar Chiri, in the wee hours of Sunday. The accused were arrested