Ludhiana: In a shocking case of impersonation and extortion, four men posing as officers of the Special Task Force (STF) and Vigilance Bureau abducted two Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials from their office at gunpoint. The victims were later released after paying a ransom of ₹7 lakh.
The Incident
The incident took place in the Dakha area of Ludhiana, where SDO Jaskiranpreet Singh and Junior Engineer (JE) Parminder Singh were working at their official office. Around noon, four men arrived in a white Toyota Corolla (Chandigarh registration), introducing themselves as Vigilance and STF officers.
According to the police, the accused forcibly took both officers at gunpoint, seized their official documents, and took photographs. The victims were warned not to inform anyone and were threatened with dire consequences if they resisted.
“They pointed guns at us and said they would shoot if we tried to act smart,”
— SDO Jaskiranpreet Singh
The kidnappers later demanded ₹7 lakh in cash for their release. After the amount was arranged, the criminals released both officers and fled.
Police Action and Investigation
Following the incident, SDO Jaskiranpreet—encouraged by friends and colleagues—approached SSP Ludhiana Rural, Dr. Ankur Gupta, and lodged a formal complaint. Acting swiftly, the Dakha Police Station registered a case under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code, including kidnapping, extortion, criminal intimidation, and impersonation, along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
An immediate Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the supervision of SSP Dr. Ankur Gupta, including officials from the CIA Staff, Cyber Cell, DSP Dakha, and Dakha Police Station. The SIT has already begun tracking the suspects based on the car registration number, mobile phone details, and a photo of one turbaned accused, which the SDO managed to capture secretly.
Prior Warnings Ignored
Interestingly, prior alerts had been circulated among PSPCL officers through internal WhatsApp groups across Punjab, warning about a gang posing as Vigilance and STF officials targeting government employees. SDO Jaskiranpreet admitted that he was suspicious during the encounter but could not resist as the accused were armed.
SSP’s Statement
SSP Dr. Ankur Gupta confirmed the registration of the case and formation of the SIT. He assured that the culprits will be apprehended soon and warned other government officers to remain vigilant against such impersonation gangs.
Leave a Reply