The gang was hatching similar dacoities/lootings in Mandi Gobindgarh and Hoshiarpur, which have been averted with their arrest, said Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta. (Representational)

Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have solved the Rs 14.5 lakh Ludhiana gambling den dacoity case with the arrest of the absconding mastermind Neeraj Sharma alias Ashu, along with his four accomplices, including a woman, from Mandi Gobindgarh in district Fatehgarh Sahib.

Rupinder Kaur Bhatti, SP (Counter Intelligence) Ludhiana, said that an amount of Rs 14.50 lakh, which was allegedly earned in gambling, was looted from Basant Avenue area of Ludhiana on the intervening night of August 13 and 14. At that time, the persons from whose property the amount was looted had not immediately got an FIR registered as they themselves were allegedly involved in gambling activities.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said that two days later, police had registered an FIR on the basis of secret information received about the incident and both gamblers and looters were booked.

The main accused, Neeraj Sharma, has several criminal cases of dacoity, robbery, attempt to murder registered against him over the last ten years. He was also wanted in a June 2020 attempt to murder case near Shingar cinema, Ludhiana, said Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta in a statement.

The gang was hatching similar dacoities/lootings in Mandi Gobindgarh and Hoshiarpur, which have been averted with their arrest, said the DGP. They were planning to rob 4 kg gold from a goldsmith in Hoshiarpur, Gupta added. A .32 bore pistol and 15 live cartridges have been recovered from their possession with a car. The operation was led by Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Amneet Kondal in coordination with Ludhiana Police led by SP (Counter Intelligence) Rupinder Kaur Bhatti.

Others arrested have been identified as Mandeep alias Mana of Jalandhar, Deepak alias Manna of Ludhiana, Gurwinder Singh alias Gindi of Jalandhar and Navdeep Kaur alias Pooja of Jalandhar.