Sonepat, October 30
On a day when the Haryana police arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the Gohana bank theft case, the owner of the house from where a tunnel was dug was found dead in a car under mysterious circumstances today.

The thieves had dug an 84-foot-long tunnel to access lockers of the PNB branch in Gohana on the night of October 26 and 27.

The police claimed a major breakthrough by arresting three — Balraj, Surender and Satish — of the four prime suspects in the case today. But the mystery deepened after Mahipal Singh, owner of the deserted house at Gohana and a resident of Kasandi village, was found dead in a car on the Rohtak-Gohana-Panipat national highway, near Gohana, this afternoon.

Police sources said the victim is suspected to have consumed poison. The police have shifted the body to the Civil Hospital at Gohana for a post-mortem examination.

While Balraj and Surender were arrested near Katwal village, 10 km from Gohana, Satish was apprehended from Gohana. All four suspects belong to Katwal village.

Superintendent of Police Arun Singh Nehra said the police had recovered ornaments weighing 23.4 kg, including 9.8 kg gold, and Rs 25,000 in cash from Balraj. He had stashed the booty at a brick kiln, near Joli village.

He said Balraj and Surender were produced in court, which remanded them in nine-day police custody. The police sought their custody for further recovery of stolen articles and locating the fourth accused, Rajesh. Satish will be produced in court tomorrow.

“The recovered ornaments were weighed in the presence of the magistrate, DSP-rank police officers and five victims whose lockers were broken into,” he said.

The gang used sharp implements, including shovels and spades, to dig the 84-foot-long and 3-foot-wide tunnel, before breaking open 86 lockers using iron bars. At least 78 lockers belonged to customers, while the rest were empty.