Forex dealer robbed of ₹16 lakh at gunpoint in Amritsar - Hindustan Times

Punjab Police recording statement of forex trader in Amritsar on Sunday. (HT)

Forex dealer robbed of ₹16 lakh at gunpoint in Amritsar

AMRITSAR Six unidentified armed men robbed a foreign exchange outlet owner of around ₹16 lakh in Indian and foreign currency at gunpoint in Amritsar on Sunday

By HT Correspondent

PUBLISHED ON SEP 27, 2021 12:38 AM IST

AMRITSAR

Six unidentified armed men robbed a foreign exchange outlet owner of around ₹16 lakh in Indian and foreign currency at gunpoint in Amritsar on Sunday. The outlet is barely 100 metres from the police station at Sultanwind Chowk.

The incident took place at 10am when the shop owner, Ranjit Singh, along with his son and nephew was dealing with two customers. Four of the six robbers entered the shop and started enquiring about the exchange rates while the other two waited on a motorcycle outside the shop. The forex business was being run from a clothes shop.

“Two customers visited us and asked to exchange ₹1 lakh in Indian currency into pounds. In the meantime, four men entered the shop and three of them pointed pistols at us. The accused, who had covered their faces, asked us to hand over the cash,” said Ranjit.

He further said: “The accused snatched some foreign currency from me, which is around ₹5 to 6 lakh. After this, they took out ₹10 lakh from the safe. They also snatched ₹1 lakh from the two customers. Before leaving, the accused snatched my nephew’s gold chain.”

Ranjit’s son Davinder Singh said they have been dealing in foreign exchange for the last 10 years. “The police station is just opposite our shop, but there is no fear of law among criminals,” he added.

From whom the accused snatched ₹1 lakh has been identified as Simranpreet Singh of Meeran Kot. Simran said: “My brother lives in England and we had to send pounds to him, for which I had visited the outlet.”

Station house officer (SHO) of the B-division police station Sarwanpal Singh said: “According to the victim’s statement, ₹8 lakh in Indian currency was robbed from the shop, besides ₹1 lakh from a customer. However, we don’t have clear information about pounds and dirhams the accused took away.”

A case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act has been registered against six unidentified persons at the B-division police station. Police are examining the CCTV footage of the shop to identify the accused.