Driver, his parents arrested for duping merchant navy captain of ₹1.5 crore

Ludhiana: Police have arrested a couple for pocketing cash, gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 1.5 crore from the sick wife of a captain in the merchant navy. Police had already arrested the couple’s son who had been hired by the captain as a driver and house help for his wife and children.The accused have been identified as Kiran Bala and her husband Pawan Kumar, residents of Raghuveer Park of Haibowal Kalan. Police have also recovered Rs 1.5 lakh cash and a gold chain worth Rs 1 lakh from them. Their son, Bhavya Sharma Bhanu, is lodged in jail.In his complaint, Gaurav Chopra, 47, of New Tagore Nagar, Haibowal, said being a captain in the merchant navy, he had been posted at different locations. Chopra said in 2017, he had hired Bhavya Sharma who used to pick and drop his children from school and would do some other household chores.The complainant added that meanwhile, the accused Bhavya and her parents won the confidence of his wife Shalu Chopra, who would remain sick, and took away Rs 1 crore cash and gold and diamond jewelry worth Rs 40 lakh. The accused had told his wife that they were undergoing a huge financial crises.In August 2022 Chopra came to know about their acts, following which he lodged a complaint with the police. An inquiry was marked in the matter by the top cop.Assistant commissioner of police (West) Mandeep Singh said police lodged an FIR against Bhavya Sharma, his mother Kiran Bala and father Pawan under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (punishment for cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) ands 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.