Looter who posed as CIA cop traced to Bathinda

LUDHIANA: Four days after four miscreants posing as CIA cops looted Rs 6.5 lakh from a tile store in Kochar Market, the Bathinda police on Sunday evening rounded up one of the accused and also recovered the black Skoda car used in the crime.


On Monday, the Ludhiana police reached Bathinda and arrested the accused. He was brought to the city by late evening.


According to the Bathinda police, accused Mankamal Singh, 35, is a resident of Adarsh Nagar, Bathinda, and a liquor smuggler. They have identified one of Mankamal’s accomplices as Tikka, his brother who posed as a CIA cop in uniform. The two others are from Uttar Pradesh and are yet to be identified.


On June 14, four miscreants, one of whom was in police uniform, went to the tile store of Manoj Kumar. While Manoj Kumar had gone to his godown at Jalandhar bypass, his partner Dharmesh Kumar and some workers were present at the store. The miscreants accused Dharmesh Kumar of being involved in hawala money exchange and claimed their visit to be a raid. The accused started searching drawers and took out Rs 6.5 lakh. While fleeing, the accused took along Dharmesh Kumar and later left him near Passi Nagar Chowk on Pakhowal Road.


The four, along with their Skoda car (DL-9-CQ-5738), were captured in a CCTV camera installed in Kochar Market. After the incident, the Ludhiana police shared the car registration number with the police of all districts. While taking to the TOI over phone, Bathinda SSP Naveen Singla said, “The police traced the car to 100 Feet Road in Bathinda with its owner Raju. Raju told that Mankamal had borrowed the car from him.”


DSP (investigation), Bathinda, Karansher Singh said, “Mankamal and his brother Tikka are liquor smugglers. They have been booked in several cases. During questioning, Mankamal confessed that he knew Dharmesh and Manoj. He also stated that he smuggles illicit liquor in Gujarat and gets money through Dharmesh and Manoj. He knew that the duo was involved in halwa transactions and kept cash with them. We have handed over Mankamal and the seized car to the Ludhiana police who will further investigate the case.”


Commissioner of police Sukhchain Singh Gill said, “Our police team is coming back with the accused. Further details will be shared after his questioning.”