Tribune News Service
PK Jaiswar
Amritsar, June 26
Four armed persons looted a commission agent and his wife after taking them hostage in the Tokriyan Wali Gali located in posh Court Road area in the wee hours here on Wednesday.
The masked miscreants allegedly decamped with Rs 1 crore in cash, besides around 3 kg of gold from the house of the victims, besides taking away a licensed revolver and scooter.
The suspects remained in the house for an hour as the couple was alone. The remaining members of the family had gone to Chandigarh to spend vacations.
As the commission agent tried to oppose the suspects, they attacked him with the pistol butt leaving him injured. The police reached the spot and started investigation after recording statements of the victim identified as Jiya Lal, a commission agent.
Abhimanyu Rana, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), said the police was scanning footage of the CCTV cameras to find clues about the perpetrators of the crime. Forensic teams were also been pressed into to service to collect samples from the house.
Jiya Lal said armed looters entered his house by jumping over the wall. As Jiya Lal had opened doors in the morning, the suspects gained easy entry into the house and made him and his wife hostage. The suspects threatened to shoot victims in case they raised an alarm. When Jiya Lal tried to oppose the suspects, they assaulted him. The suspects searched every wardrobe and drawers in the house and took away cash and jewellery worth Rs 3 crore, said Jiya Lal.
He said after committing the crime, the suspects fled in a car and took his scooter also. When the victims raised an alarm, people in the vicinity rang up the control room. The police teams reached the spot with minutes.
Bimala Devi, victim’s wife, said the miscreants left nothing valuable in the house. She said the looters took them hostage on gunpoint. She said her son and family returned from Chandigarh after hearing about the incident.
Investigating officer Amolak Singh said the police were scanning footage of the CCTV cameras in the area and had already got some clues about suspects. He said the suspects would be arrested soon.
The relatives of the victims were critical about the current situation in the city. They said people were not safe in their houses. They said the law and order situation in the city was deteriorating with each passing day.
