The Panchkula police on Thursday claimed to have averted a major robbery with the arrest of five armed men. The police seized a foreign-made pistol, six live cartridges, iron rods, an axe and a spear from the accused. A car used by them was also seized.
The accused were identified as Deepak, Khushdeep, Bablu, Hrithik, and Navish, all residents of Malout in Muktsar, Punjab.
Kalka Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashish Kumar said they had received a tip-off on Wednesday that some men had gathered in a car near a cow shelter to plan a major robbery. A police team raided the spot and arrested them. Three of them initially tried to flee from the spot. Bablu was in possession of the foreign-made pistol and six live cartridges.
According to the police, the accused had fled Malout on June 13 after a clash with a rival group, during which Bablu allegedly opened fire. After fleeing Malout, they ran out of money and began planning a robbery.
A case has been registered against the accused at the Kalka police station under Section 310(4) of the BNS and the Arms Act. According to police records, several cases of drug trafficking and theft are registered against Hrithik in Punjab.
All the accused were produced before a court, which sent Deepak and Khushdeep to judicial custody. The other three were sent to four-day police custody.
