Sewa Kendra theft: Punjab Police arrest IT operator with ₹18 lakh cash while trying to flee Bathinda

The district police on Sunday arrested an IT (information technology) operator for allegedly stealing ₹20.73 lakh from a Sewa Kendra located at the high-security district administrative complex (DAC).

The accused has been identified as Gurwant Singh, a resident of Mati Das Nagar locality in the city, and the police have recovered ₹18.23 lakh from his possession.

Superintendent of police (city) Narinder Singh said Gurwant was arrested from Dabwali road when he was trying to flee the city, with the cash.

“Initial interrogation suggests that he single-handedly committed the theft,” the SP added.

Sewa Kendra is managed by a private agency and offers various online public utility services. The accused is an employee at the same facility.

SP said technical surveillance and human intelligence led to cracking the case in less than 48 hours. The cash couldn’t be deposited in the bank due to some technical error with banks servers.

“Gurwant was well-aware that the cash was kept in the office. He reached DAC in his car at around 8.30 pm on Friday and opened the gate. Gurwant used a wheelchair to ferry the safe from the office to his car,” said the SP.

Investigators said the crime spot indicated that the theft was an insider’s job.

“There were no marks of forced entry in the office. Gurwant’s role was under the scanner since the beginning. When he was arrested today, the police team recovered a digital video recorder (DVR), a lock and a chain that were removed from the Kendra,” DSP Gurpreet Singh said.