Joginder Singh and Rajpreet Singh.Two absconding Punjab Police ASIs — Joginder Singh and Rajpreet Singh — were arrested by the Kochi police in connection with a case of misappropriation of cash seized during a raid in Jalandhar on March 29 this year.
Both were nabbed at around 4.30 pm on Monday just half an hour of their checking into the hotel Casa Linda, Fort Kochi, Kochi, based on specific information developed by the SIT in Punjab.
They are accused of misappropriating Rs 6.65 crore after a raid at the house of Father Anthony Maddasery at Pratapura village in Jalandhar on March 29.
The Punjab Police SIT that is probing the case had earlier arrested two, including an ASI, Dilbagh Singh, and an informer, Surinder Singh. Two vehicles — a Hyundai Verna and a Swift — used in the crime were also recovered.
Also read | Jalandhar case recovery case: ASIs fled with cash stashed in jute bags, says informer
A police team led by SIT head IG (Crime), Praveen K Sinha, and comprising of AIG (Crime), SAS Nagar and Investigating Officer in the case, Rakesh Kaushal, is on its way to Kochi to arrest the accused and bring them back to Punjab.
Hotel Casa Linda from where the two were arrestedPunjab Police DGP Dinkar Gupta immediately tweeted information about the suspects’ arrest.
IG Sinha informed that preliminary information received from Kochi police had revealed that the duo had checked into the hotel at about 4 pm on Monday and had taken up the single room after submitting Joginder Singh’s licence as their proof of identity.
Both accused were booked under sections of dacoity and conspiracy in the FIR filed in SAS Nagar. Informer Surinder Singh had told police that he had accompanied a police team, which included the two ASIs, that had raided the residence of priest Anthony Madassery.
After recording statements of eyewitnesses and looking at CCTV footage of the priest’s residence, the SIT had established that Khanna police team of nearly 18 cops had raided the Father Madassery’s house and had taken all the amount Rs 16.65 crore from his residence. Out of that money, only Rs 9.66 crore was handed over to the Khanna SSP on the same day and remaining Rs 6.65 crore was allegedly misappropriated by both the ASIs.
Khanna police had handed over Rs. 9.66 crore to IT department same day. The police are yet to say anything about the missing cash.
