Mohalil: The Sadar Kharar police have busted an organised gang accused of cheating people through a gambling-style “Dikri” scam and arrested six members. Police recovered Rs 25,000 in cash and three gold rings from the accused and are searching for two more suspects allegedly linked to the racket.The arrested accused have been identified as Maninder Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Vishal Kumar, Balwinder Singh, Rajveer Singh and Arvinder Singh, all residents of Moga district. Two others — Satnam Singh alias Pannu and Rahul, who allegedly runs a jewellery shop in Moga’s Sarafa Bazaar — have also been nominated in the case.Police said the gang used a well-planned modus operandi to trap victims. One member would approach a shopkeeper or passerby and start playing the Dikri game using yellow plastic tokens. Other gang members, posing as participants, would place bets and appear to win repeatedly. Encouraged by these staged victories, the victim would be lured into placing larger bets.Once money was wagered, the gang allegedly manipulated the game to ensure the victim lost. Police said members also took advantage of the confusion during betting to steal valuables before fleeing.The case surfaced after Sikandar Chaudhary, a resident of Darpan City, Kharar, alleged that the gang visited his shop on June 26 and duped him of Rs 75,000. He further claimed that the accused stole a gold ring from his finger and another from the shop counter before escaping.During the investigation, police tracked the accused through a Swift car and a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime. Under the supervision of DSP Kharar-I Ishan Singla and SHO Gurpreet Singh, a police team raided a flat in TDI City, Sector 111, Landran, and arrested six accused.During police remand, investigators recovered Rs 25,000 in cash and three gold rings. Police said the accused have admitted involvement in several similar incidents, and preliminary investigations suggest the gang had been targeting unsuspecting people through the Dikri scam for several months.The accused were remanded to three days of police custody. Police are now trying to trace more victims and arrest the remaining suspects.
