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Ludhiana: Constable arrested for stealing ₹1.25 crore from ‘malkhana’
The theft came to light during a court hearing when tampered seals on a storage box revealed that the seized items were missing
A senior constable posted as a munshi at Sidhwan Bet Police Station under Ludhiana Rural Police has been arrested for allegedly stealing ₹1.25 crore in cash and valuables kept as case property in the malkhana (police property room).
According to police, the accused, Gurdas Singh, a resident of Ajit Nagar, Jagraon, allegedly melted the official seals on storage boxes to pilfer gold and other valuables. The accused was due to retire later this month.
The theft came to light during a court hearing when tampered seals on a storage box revealed that the seized items were missing.
According to police sources, the accused apparently spent a portion of the stolen money on himself and lost some in gambling.
The incident was uncovered when Singh presented a sealed box of recovered cash in court, confident it would not be opened. The judge noticed tampered seals, ordered the box to be unsealed and found it empty.
Singh was immediately arrested on the court’s orders.
Following the revelation, Sidhwan Bet Police booked him under Section 316(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal misappropriation and theft. He is now in police custody for interrogation.
The stolen cash and valuables were part of a 2023 seizure that included ₹1.25 crore, two illegal weapons, five police uniforms and poppy husk — all stored under Singh’s supervision in the Malkhana.
Inspector Hira Singh, station house officer of Sidhwan Bet Police Station said that a three-member inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the incident.
