Chandigarh (IANS) Claiming that they had cracked the daring broad-daylight bank cash van heist of Rs.1.34 crore [Rs.13.4 million] near Mohali town, Punjab Police on Wednesday said all eight people accused in the sensational crime, including an engineering graduate, were arrested.

Police also claimed that over Rs 1.28 crore was recovered from the gang that committed the crime on Monday.

“Punjab Police today (Wednesday) cracked one of the biggest robberies of the region within 36 hours by arresting all the eight accused and recovering almost total amount (Rs.1,28,70,000) robbed by them,” Inspector General of Police-Patiala zonal Paramjit Singh Gill told media persons at Mohali, 10 km from here.

The cash van of Axis Bank was waylaid by the gang, which was following it in a stolen Fortuner SUV, between villages Mauli and Saneta on March 9 while the van was going to deliver cash to various branches of the bank in Mohali district.

Gill said the gang was traced after police received information that some suspected elements, equipped with firearms and other weapons, were planning some big loot.

The search parties cornered them in village Rurki Kalan and nabbed four criminals.

These included Ranpreet Singh Rana, a B.Tech graduate, Joginder Singh, Talwinder Singh and Lakhwinder Singh with weapons and ammunition. A Hyundai I-20 car was also recovered from them.

Four other accomplices of these criminals, however, managed to escape from there in another car. Police chased them and nabbed them near the Sector 38-west grain market in Chandigarh.

Investigations by police revealed that Rana was the mastermind of the cash van looting. The gang had snatched the Fortuner SUV from a person in Sohana area of Mohali district on March 4 to carry out the heist.

“After committing the loot, the gang abandoned the Fortuner in Banur area and split up to dodge the police. They again assembled in Chandigarh and divided the looted amount,” Gill said.

Police officials said all gang members had a criminal past.