Rs 1 cr looted from Tarn Taran dera, cashier hurt

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, February 25

Four unidentified robbers looted over Rs 1 crore from the local Dera Baba Jeewan Singh on the Goindwal Sahib road on the outskirts of the town late Monday evening.

Dera cashier Baba Mohinder Singh was injured in the incident, which took place around 10.45 pm. The robbers tied him with a cloth, before fleeing.

Jagjit Singh Walia, Superintendent of Police (Investigations) said the accused came in a while-coloured car. “The CCTV footage revealed that they were wearing attire similar to those of sewadars of the kar sewa sect.” He said investigations were under way to identify the suspects and arrest them.

Bakhshish Singh, a sewadar, who was on night duty at the dera, stated to the police that the robbers came around 10.45 pm and entered on the pretext of meeting Baba Mohinder regarding admitting a patient at Guru Nanak Super Specialty Hospital run by the kar sewa sect. He said three of them entered the cashier’s room while one was in the car. He said they thrashed Baba Mohinder and later pulled him inside the room, tied him up and locked him inside the bathroom.

Bakhshish said they snatched his mobile phone and took the keys of almirah and decamped with the cash.

The SP said the role of insiders could not be ruled out. A case under Sections 379B, 342, 459, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code had been registered in this connection, he added.

Dera head Baba Jagtar Singh condemned the incident and urged the police to arrest the culprits.