Mohali, July 31: A retired Army officer was robbed at gunpoint while walking his dog in Aerocity Block-C on July 20, with the robbers fleeing with his gold bracelet and Apple iPhone. The incident has sparked concern among residents, especially after police confirmed a similar robbery in the same area earlier this month.
Col Gurjeet Singh (retd), currently posted as in-charge of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) at Fatehgarh Sahib, was targeted by three unidentified men around 6:30 pm. According to his police statement, a black Honda City with “MH” on its number plate pulled up beside him while he was on a routine walk.
Singh said the driver, a young man, stepped out and asked for directions to an immigration agent’s residence. In the middle of their conversation, the man pulled out a pistol and demanded Singh’s valuables. Two turbaned men, aged approximately 25-26, remained seated inside the car.
“Fearing for my life, I handed over my gold bracelet and iPhone,” Singh told police. The car then sped off towards Amity University.
Singh immediately returned home and used his daughter’s iPhone to track the stolen device. It was located two kilometres away, discarded in roadside bushes. The black Honda City, he reported, had its number plate partially covered in mud, presumably to evade identification. The vehicle also displayed two miniature United Kingdom flags on its dashboard.
Adding to the gravity of the case, Singh alleged that the same car had driven past him around 6 pm, half an hour before the robbery, and that it appeared to have been circling the area. He also claimed the same vehicle was used in another robbery on July 9 in nearby Block-D, where Hardeep Singh, also walking his dog, was held at gunpoint.
Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act related to the use of illegal firearms. A senior police officer confirmed that CCTV footage from the area is being analysed, and both cases are being investigated for a possible connection.
“We are pursuing leads based on vehicle descriptions and digital evidence,” the officer said. The police filed the FIR on July 29 after preliminary investigation.
Residents of Aerocity have expressed growing unease over security lapses in the locality, urging authorities to step up night patrolling and install more surveillance cameras.
