Chandigarh: It began as a night of reckless ambition — a stolen car, a gang of six, and a spree of knifepoint robberies executed back-to-back across Panchkula and Chandigarh. But before the gang could strike for a sixth time, the police chase closed in and the city’s brief reign of terror came crashing down.In the early hours of Tuesday, Chandigarh Police arrested six persons — including two minors — who allegedly stole a Maruti Alto from Panchkula’s Sector 11 and then embarked on a fast-moving chain of robberies through the night. The adult accused were identified as Ajay, Salman, Bhola and Arun, all residents of Bhainsa Tibba village, Panchkula.According to police, the gang first used the stolen car to commit two robberies at knifepoint in Panchkula. Around 5am, they crossed into Chandigarh in the same Alto and targeted Gaurav of Sector 11 near Sector 43, snatching Rs 15,000 in cash, clothes and important documents. Barely minutes later, the gang struck again — this time near the Government Art Gallery in Sector 10 — stopping a passerby, Gurbaksh, at knifepoint and fleeing with his mobile phone and wallet containing Rs 2,600.What they didn’t expect was that the victim had managed to note down their vehicle number.The alert to the police control room triggered a rapid response. Teams from the Crime Branch, Sector 36, and three police stations fanned out across the city, locking down routes and scanning for the stolen Alto. As the gang allegedly hunted for yet another target, police units closed in.A brief chase ensued before officers intercepted the vehicle and arrested all six suspects. Police said the stolen Alto, along with the mobile phone, wallet and other looted items, were recovered from their possession.Investigators said the accused were drug addicts who committed thefts and robberies to fuel their addiction. Their arrest, police added, is likely to crack open several pending cases.The two minors were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to a juvenile home, while the four adults were presented in court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation.
