Crypto deal turns robbery: ₹17.5L looted at Sector-42 lake parking

Chandigarh: Five miscreants looted Rs 17.5 lakh from a city-based businessman at Sector-42 lake parking after luring him on the pretext of a cryptocurrency (USDT) deal.Police said the accused first contacted the victim, Amit Kumar, a Sector-45 resident, on WhatsApp, posing as a trader dealing in USDT. After days of conversation, they fixed a meeting for a deal worth around Rs 40 lakh and asked him to come with cash.Amit, who runs a computer spare parts business near Panjab University, reached the spot with his associate Vinay Jain, carrying Rs 17.5 lakh in two bags along with identity documents.At the parking lot, four youths were seated in a black Kia car. One of them, who identified himself as Ankit, asked Amit to sit in the vehicle for discussion. Sensing something amiss, Amit stepped out, but the accused chased him, assaulted him and his associate, and snatched both bags before fleeing.During investigation, police found that the accused had used a car belonging to a visually impaired man from Kharar and tampered with its number plate using black tape to evade identification. However, the victims noted the number, and CCTV analysis helped police trace the vehicle and reach its owner.The car owner told police he was unaware of the plan and had accompanied the accused after they persuaded him to lend the vehicle.Police said the accused later dropped him back and abandoned the vehicle. Acting swiftly, police traced the location, missing the suspects by a few minutes.A case has been registered at Sector-36 police station, and one आरोपी has been arrested. During the probe, police recovered ₹5 lakh after the visually impaired man informed them that the accused had left the cash with him. Efforts are on to nab the remaining accused and recover the rest of the amount.