Ludhiana-based minor escapes confinement, reveals rape ordeal; case registered

In an alarming incident, a minor, who had been missing for the past five months returned home to reveal that she had been abducted by her neighbour — who allegedly took her to Gonda of Uttar Pradesh, where he repeatedly raped her.

After returning home, the 16-year-old girl said the accused abducted her in April and took her to Uttar Pradesh and raped her on multiple occasions for five months, having confined her in a room. She managed to escape on September 16 and reached out to her parents.

Division number 6 police registered a complaint against the accused, identified as a 21-year-old resident of Vishwakarma Nagar.

The complaint was registered following the statement of the victim’s mother, who said her daughter had gone missing on April 24 and the family had filed a missing complaint with the police.

The complainant said she received a call from her daughter at around 11 am on September 16, informing her that she was at the Gonda railway station. The family approached the police, who brought her back on September 18.

After reaching home, the girl said the accused had back in April barged into their house and raped her before forcibly taking her to Gonda, where he had confined her in a room and raped for the five months. On September 16, she managed to escape and reached the railway station. She borrowed a phone from a passenger and called her mother.

Inspector Madhu Bala, station head officer at the Division number 6 police station, said a case under sections 376 (rape), 344 (wrongful confinement for ten or more days), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and section 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and a hunt is on for the arrest of the accused.

Other news in brief:

Man, mother-in-law killed by neighbour after spat turns violent

Ludhiana
Injured in a scuffle with their neighbours, a 36-year-old labourer and his mother-in-law on Tuesday succumbed to their injuries. The victims, Ravi and his mother-in-law Noor Jahan, residents of Satjot Nagar, Basant Avenue. Following their deaths, police booked the duo’s neighbours Gopi Chand, Kiran and Ahmad — who are on the run — for murder after a complaint from the deceased man’s wife Ravina

The complainant said her husband and the accused Gopi Chand were drinking alcohol outside their respective rooms when the latter started hurling abuses at her husband. Upon objecting, the accused allegedly called two aides Ahmad and Kiran and attacked the complainant’s husband. When her mother Noor Jahan tried to intervene, the complainant said, the accused bludgeoned her with a weapon and fled from the spot. The victims were rushed to a hospital, where after administering first-aid, doctors sent them home.

On Tuesday, however, the duo’s condition began deteriorating, following which they were again rushed to the civil hospital — where they succumbed to their injuries. The accused Gopi Chand and the deceased shared an old enmity. Inspector Gurpreet Singh, station head officer at the Sadar police station said a murder case has been registered against the accused and a hunt is on for their arrest.

Jewellery shop worker duped of ₹2.5L by man posing as bank employee

Ludhiana
A swindler posing as a banker on Tuesday afternoon duped the employee of a jewellery store of ₹2.5 lakh and escaped at a private bank on Mall road. The victim had come to the bank to deposit cash. The complainant, Pardeep Jain said he had sent his employee Amar Singh to Axis Bank on Mall road to deposit ₹6.5 lakh in his account when a man posing as a bank employee offered help. He took ₹2.50 lakh, saying that the bank would only accept that much amount in a single transaction before fleeing. Realising the fraud, he informed the complainant, who in turn, approached the police.

The suspect had been captured in the CCTVs installed in the bank. Police have registered a case. Sub-inspector Neeraj Chaudhary, station head officer at the Division number 8 police station, said police are also looking into the role of bank employees in the case.

Realtor loses ₹7L in immigration fraud

Ludhiana
Police booked five fraudsters for allegedly duping a realtor of ₹7 lakh on the pretext of helping him secure a Canadian visa for his nephew. The accused, Balvir Singh, Dharminder Singh of Manjit Nagar and Rahul Malhotra, as well as two unidentified aides, handed over a fake Visa to the complainant and demanded another ₹8 lakh from him. An FIR has been lodged following the statement of the realtor, Vikas Verma of New Ashok Nagar of Salem Tabri.

The complainant said he approached the accused Dharminder, an acquaintance, to help secure a visa for his nephew Piyush Rajput on August 1. The accused introduced him to an immigration consultant.The consultant and his accomplices demanded ₹25 lakh and took a ₹7-lakh advance. On August 22, the accused handed over a passport with a Canadian visa — which on being scanned was found to be fake. Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, North) Maninder Bedi said during investigation, the visa was found fake and a case was registered against the accused.

3 held for duping residents by handing out fake documents

Ludhiana
Jagraon police arrested three alleged members of a gang involved in preparing fake vehicle registration certificates, driving licences, birth certificates and other documents. The accused, Jatinder Singh of Atam Nagar, Jagjit Singh of Jeevan Nagar and Harpreet Singh Kothe Sher Jang, would dupe city residents by charging fees for getting originals only to furnish the furnish the forged documents

Police, during a raid, arrested the three accused and recovered a hard drive, two laptops, a desktop, two printers and two vehicle registration certificates from their possession. Sub-inspector Kamaldeep Kaur said they conducted the raid after a tip-off, adding that Jatinder and Jagjit had been involved in forging documents for the past 10 years, while Harpreet had joined them a year ago. Police said the accused had duped around 70 people so far. The cyber cell is working to recover detailS of the transactions made by the accused. A case was registered.