The kingpin, Charanjeet Singh, who is a Zirakpur-based realtor, and his accomplice Sohan Singh, who claims to be a Ludhiana-based journalist, were arrested in a Tata Safari SUV with fake registration number of Ludhiana, which was originally issued to a Honda Activa scooter, Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jatinder Singh Aulakh told Newsline.

A huge cache of official documents, rubber stamps and police records were confiscated from the gangsters arrested by Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff team under the supervision of Mohali Superintendent of Police (Detective) R.K. Bakshi. Bakshi told Newsline that the gangsters used to prepare fake registration certificates, driving licenses and other relevant documents to defraud banks in vehicle loans.

The seizure included a fake international driving permit in the name of a Habowal (Ludhiana) girl, 20 blank international driving permits, 14 driving license slips in different names, 20 blank registration certificates, rubber stamps of Ludhiana District Transport Officer (DTO), Motor Vehicle Authority (MVA), Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads) in Mukerian and another in the name of Ludhiana Civil Hospital Medical Officer Dr R.K. Sharma. The seizure also included 13 incomplete copies of daily dairy reports (DDRs) from Mullanpur police station in Ludhiana.

The CIA staff team, led by its head Sub-Inspector Sarabjeet Singh, also found 14 copies of a tabloid, which the Ludhiana-based gangster claiming to be journalist, used to publish. Bakshi said during preliminary interrogation, the gangsters confessed to be in the illegal business for the past 15 years. Their modus operandi, disclosed Bakshi, was to prepare fake documents and procure vehicle loans from the banks and re-sale the mortgaged vehicles by putting fake registration numbers and issuing fake driving licenses without paying back the hefty loan amounts. “The extent of banks swindled by the gangsters is yet to be ascertained but it is sure that the number of banks and amount swindled would be in large extent,” said SP (Detective).