A man who was out on bail in a 2023 cabbie murder case is among the two suspects arrested for the murder of another cab driver who was found stabbed to death in Sector 38 (West), Chandigarh, last week.
Both are daily wagers. “The accused had murdered the victim in cold blood in what appears to be a carjacking incident. prima facie it appears to be a kitchen knife which was used, the DSP added While the murder weapon is yet to be recovered. The victim’s mobile phone is also missing. Police are also looking into the app used to book the cab ride. Initially, police had suspected a person who had hailed the victim’s cab services through the Rapido app and booked a ride from Kharar to Chandigarh. A team had also travelled to Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, to trace the person who was later cleared of the suspicion. They had allegedly booked a cab through the InDrive app. When the victim showed up, the duo had asked him to wait for their third friend. An argument had subsequently ensued following which the accused allegedly stabbed Sharma at least four times, drove around in the cab with his body, and finally dumped it in a drain.
Punjabdeep Singh, 25, of Mansa, was arrested along with his accomplice Harpreet Singh, 21, also of Mansa, from a jungle area in Sector 56 on Monday after a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera breakthrough. Harpreet has no previous criminal record, police said While Punjabpreet is an undertrial in the 2023 case. The latest victim, Kumar, had taken the cab on rent from his friend, Pradeep Singh of Maloya, at the rate of ₹ 700 a day, just two days before he was brutally murdered, according to the police. An official familiar with the matter said police will press for the harshest of punishment under Section 103 (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which is life imprisonment or death sentence. Detailing the 2023 case, police said that the accused Punjabpreet, along with his associate Resham Singh of Bathinda, had allegedly killed a cab driver, Dayanand Sharma, in Mohali. The case remains pending before a Mohali court, which had granted Punjabpreet bail in December 2025. Police said he had a hearing in the case on September 16 and had come to the Tricity for the purpose when he again allegedly orchestrated a similar crime. Police said the fresh case bears resemblance to the 2023 crime.
They killed the victim, drove around to try and dispose of the body but had to leave the car due to the presence of police across the city.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, South West) Dheeraj Kumar said it was a case of carjacking gone wrong. When the car was recovered, it was still running and the lights were also switched on,” he said. Police said they will seek exemplary action against Punjabpreet in court, citing how the accused was out on bail in a similar case when he committed the crime.
Police will produce the accused in court on Tuesday and seek two-day remand to recover the knife.
