As part of the ongoing anti-crime drive launched by Punjab Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann and DGP Punjab Sh. Gaurav Yadav, SAS Nagar Police achieved a major breakthrough under the directions of Sh. Harcharan Singh Bhullar, DIG Rupnagar Range. Teams of Sub-Division Dera Bassi have busted three interstate theft gangs, arrested six accused, and recovered stolen property worth approximately Rs 35 lakh. The arrests have led to the solving of five theft cases in SAS Nagar and three more in other districts, informed Sh. Harmandeep Singh Hans, Senior Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar, here on Thursday.
The recovery includes two Mahindra Bolero vehicles, seven split air-condition units, three gold necklaces, four gold rings, a pair of gold earrings, 545 grams of silver jewellery, 41 pieces of Raymond fabric, 72 ladies’ suits, and burglary tools including iron rods and screwdrivers, the SSP said. Sharing the background of Cases, SSP said that on June 11, 2025, two thefts occurred in Gulmohar City and Hardev Nagar, Lalru.
FIR No. 91 dated 14.06.2025 under Sections 331(3), 305 IPC was registered at PS Lalru. Another theft from a clothing shop at Lalru Mandi led to FIR No. 125 dated 10.08.2025 under Sections 305, 331(4) IPC. The third case, FIR No. 228 dated 10.08.2025 under Sections 331(4), 305 IPC, was registered at PS Dera Bassi for theft of split AC units from Laxmi Electronics, Mubarikpur, during the night of 8–9 August 2025.
Sharing the investigation & Operations, he further said that Special investigation teams were constituted under the supervision of Sh. Manpreet Singh, SP (Rural) and Sh. Talwinder Singh Gill, SP (Operations), in coordination with Sh. Bikramjit Singh Brar, DSP Dera Bassi. Station House Officers of PS Dera Bassi, PS Lalru, and the Incharge Narcotics Cell, SAS Nagar, used scientific methods, technical resources, and local intelligence to track down the accused.
Giving details of Arrests & Recoveries, he said that in FIR No. 91, Teams from PS Lalru and Narcotics Cell arrested Sumit Kumar s/o Vijay Kumar, Nikhil Kumar alias Nikhil Loharia s/o Vicky Loharia (both residents of #2752/2, Ramnagar, Ambala City), and Karan Bhola s/o Jagdish Lal, resident of Manmohan Nagar. They had been absconding for four months, frequently changing locations and phone numbers.
Arrested on 04.08.2025, they led police to the recovery of gold jewellery, 545g of silver, burglary tools, and a KTM motorcycle without a number plate. They also confessed to another theft on 07.07.2025 in Morinda City, registered as FIR No. 92 dated 08.07.2025 under Sections 331(3), 305, 3(5) IPC at PS Morinda City.
In FIR No. 125, Accused Mandeep Singh alias Deepa s/o Satnam Singh, resident of Desmesh Nagar, Ambala–Jhoj Road, Ambala, was arrested on 10.08.2025 from Jhoj Road, Sangodha. A stolen Baleno car, Raymond fabrics, 72 ladies’ suits, and burglary tools were recovered. The car, stolen from Ludhiana (FIR No. 57 dated 10.07.2025, PS Simlapuri), had fake registration plates to facilitate thefts.
In FIR No. 228, Acting on a tip-off on 10.08.2025, police arrested Surjit Singh alias Kala s/o Singara Singh, resident of Defence Colony, Tundla (PS Panjokhra Sahib, Ambala), and Jaswinder Singh alias Pinchu s/o Iqbal Singh, resident of #148/95, Simlapuri, Ludhiana. They were intercepted at a naka at Lehli Chowk while driving a Bolero pickup with a fake number plate (PB 11 AS 8613), carrying seven stolen split ACs and an iron crowbar.
The ACs were confirmed stolen from Laxmi Electronics, Mubarikpur. The Bolero is suspected stolen from Ludhiana; investigation continues. All six accused have previous criminal records, with multiple cases registered against them in different states.
Their arrest has brought closure to eight theft incidents, including three in other districts, significantly curbing interstate theft activity in the region, the SSP added.