Nephew among 4 held for robbing elderly woman

Four persons have been arrested by the UT police for robbing an 82-year-old woman, Raksha Sharma, at her home in Sector 27. Among the suspects is her nephew, Jaswant Singh. The other suspects are Virender Kumar, alias Som (39); Jasmeet Singh, alias Sharry (29); and Kaka, alias Golu (43), all residents of Ludhiana.

The incident took place in the early hours on November 26. The accused, with their faces covered, broke into the victim’s home on the first floor of a shop-cum-flat (SCF) while she was asleep. Armed with sharp weapons, they climbed the grill of a transformer located next to the house to gain entry in the premises. They held the elderly woman captive and took away jewellery worth several lakhs and Rs 37,000 in cash.

During the investigation, the police apprehended the accused from Ludhiana. During interrogation, they said they hid the stolen jewellery at various locations in the city and handed over some to a co-accused, Shetty.

The police said Jaswant orchestrated the robbery after learning that his aunt had a substantial amount of gold. He, along with his accomplices, arrived in the city on the morning of November 25. They decided to wait until the next day to rob the woman and spent the day in Sector 17.

According to police record, Jaswant already has three cases registered against him, including those of theft and the Arms Act. Kaka was involved in a theft case in 2021, while Jasmeet also had a criminal past. The police said all accused did drugs.

The accused were produced before the court and the Judge sent them to two-day police custody.