2 Class XII students among 5 arrested for carjacking PAU scientist at knife-point

Ludhiana: Sarabha Nagar police arrested five persons, including son of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and son of a shrine head in Ludhiana, for carjacking a scientist of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The police have also recovered the snatched Maruti Ertiga car, besides a bike, scooter and a sharp-edged weapon used in the crime. The police said the accused executed the crime under the influence of alcohol.
The accused had carjacked Dr Naveen Aggarwal, principal entomologist at PAU, when he was returning home after attending a party near Jhammat canal bridge.
The arrested persons have been identified as Kuldeep Singh Deepa, 20, of Nanak Nagar near Jalandhar Bypass; Karanvir Singh Kanu, 20, of Kitchlu Nagar; Tushar Bhatia, 20, of Durgapuri of Haibowal Kalan; Shubham Dhand, 22, of Hakikat Nagar of Haibowal Kalan; and Sukhpreet Singh Heera of Rajesh Nagar of Haibowal Kalan. Kuldeep is the son of an ASI who is deputed on the security of a political leader, while Karanvir’s father is a head of a shrine in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana police commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu said all the accused are aged between 20 and 22 years. They all are schoolfriends and often consumed liquor together. That night too, the accused were consuming alcohol on a roadside when the victim crossed by their side in his car. The accused gave him a chase and snatched his car after threatening him. The police interrogated the accused, but could not find a strong reason to snatch the car. The accused said they were drunk and had no idea what they would have done with the snatched car. However, it is still being probed if the accused were planning to execute more crimes using the stolen car.
Sidhu said Kuldeep and Karanvir are Class XII students. Tushar Bhatia works as a delivery boy in a private company, Shubham Dhand helps his father in his realty business, while Sukhpreet Singh is unemployed.
Assistant commissioner of police (West) Mandeep Singh said Karanvir Singh is already wanted by PAU police in an attempt to murder case of September 2022, when he and his accomplices had attacked a youngster with baseball bats and liquor bottles in Rishi Nagar market over some old rivalry. The police are checking if the other accused too have a criminal record or not.