A house painter allegedly turned against the family that trusted him by attacking, threatening and locking an elderly couple in a room at their house in the upscale Sunny Side area on Mall Road in Kapurthala, before fleeing with gold and diamond jewellery, cash and important documents.
According to the complaint lodged by the victims, the accused, identified as Ranjit Singh, a resident of Rajapur village, had been carrying out painting work at the house for the past 20 days. The family had reportedly known him from previous assignments and trusted him enough to allow him regular access to the residence.
The incident allegedly took place around 3 pm on July 8, when homeowner Pawan Kumar and his wife were resting in their room. The police said the accused suddenly entered the room armed with an iron rod, snatched their mobile phones, and repeatedly assaulted Pawan Kumar, causing serious injuries. When his wife tried to intervene and raised an alarm, the accused allegedly produced a revolver, pointed it at her head, and threatened to shoot her.
Investigators said the accused initially attempted to lock the woman inside a bathroom but after the couple resisted, he forced both victims into a room and locked it from the outside. The elderly couple remained confined for nearly five hours while the accused allegedly searched the house, broke open cupboards and lockers, and decamped with gold and diamond jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees, cash and important documents.
The crime came to light around 8 pm, when Pawan Kumar’s son, Rohit, and his grandson returned home and found the main entrance open. After unlocking the room, they discovered the elderly couple injured and in a state of shock. A subsequent search of the house revealed that the lockers had been broken open and valuables were missing.
In his complaint, Pawan Kumar also alleged that after fleeing the scene, the accused sent a voice message to his son, threatening the family with serious consequences. The police are also examining the CCTV footage from neighbouring houses, which reportedly shows the accused leaving the area on a motorcycle after the incident.
Confirming the case, Amandeep, Station House Officer (SHO) of City Kapurthala police station, said a case had been registered against the named accused under relevant sections relating to wrongful confinement, attempt to murder, robbery, and the Arms Act, based on the victim’s statement.
He said police teams had been formed to trace the accused, with raids being conducted at his suspected hideouts, including Rajapur village.
The police said CCTV footage and mobile phone location data are being used in the investigation and expressed confidence that the accused would be arrested soon.