Punjab Newsline | Mohali
Mohali Police have busted a six-member 'Dikri' gang accused of cheating a mobile shop owner out of ₹75,000 in cash and two gold rings. The accused were arrested by Sadar Kharar Police and produced before a Kharar court, which remanded them to three days of police custody for further investigation.
According to police, the incident took place on the morning of June 26 at Chaudhary Communication, a mobile phone shop in Sante Majra village. The accused allegedly entered the shop one by one as part of a well-planned scheme, pretending not to know each other to avoid raising suspicion.
The gang reportedly lured the shopkeeper into a fraudulent betting game using plastic "Dikri" pieces, promising to double his money. To gain the victim's confidence, gang members repeatedly allowed their own accomplices to "win" the game. Once the shopkeeper, Sikandar Chaudhary of Darpan City, was convinced, he joined the game and was allegedly cheated of ₹75,000 in cash and one gold ring. Another gold ring was reportedly stolen from the shop counter during the incident.
After the fraud, the shopkeeper shared CCTV footage and photographs of the suspects in a mobile shopkeepers' WhatsApp group. The following day, the accused allegedly visited another shop in Landran while searching for a new target and purchased a SIM card, which helped identify them.
Acting on the information, police raided a flat in TDI City, Landran, where all six suspects were arrested.
Investigating Officer ASI Chamkaur Singh said the accused were traced using CCTV footage. The arrested individuals have been identified as Maninder Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Vishal Kumar, Balwinder Singh, Rajveer Singh, and Arvinder Singh, all residents of Moga. They were reportedly staying at Flat No. 312 in TDI City, Landran.
