MOHALI, May 20: A man from Sector 69 was tied to a tree and robbed of cash, a mobile phone, and a silver chain after he was lured into a late-night meeting through a dating app, police said Monday.
The incident took place around 12.30 a.m. on Sunday in a secluded park in Phase 9, where the victim was overpowered by three assailants. According to the police complaint, the victim was chatting with a man on a dating app when he received a message around 12.15 a.m. The man asked for his location, offering to meet in person.
“The victim said he got on the man’s motorcycle and they rode to Phase 9. Once at the park, three unidentified youths suddenly appeared, beat up the man who brought him, and tied the victim to a tree,” said a police official from Phase 8 police station.
The attackers then forced the victim to transfer ₹1,000 via Google Pay. When he hesitated, they threatened to kill him. Out of fear, he managed to transfer an additional ₹15,000 through relatives—₹5,000 and ₹10,000 from two uncles. They also snatched his silver chain and mobile phone before fleeing the scene.
The victim remained tied to the tree until a passer-by heard his calls for help and freed him. He later approached police to report the incident. “A case has been registered and an investigation is underway,” the officer added.
In a separate incident the same night, a mango vendor identified as Deenanatha, a resident of Mohali village, was assaulted and robbed in Phase 6.
He told police that he was returning home via Dara Studio road when three men on a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle intercepted him. “They pushed me to the ground and snatched ₹4,000 and my phone,” he said in his complaint to the Phase 6 police post.
Deenanatha also disclosed that he had been robbed at knifepoint just three days earlier, on May 15, when the assailants took mangoes from his cart.
Investigations have been initiated in both cases. Police said they are examining CCTV footage and checking criminal records in the area for leads.
