Police say rival jewellers plotted to frame Poonch shop owner with planted terror items

Police allege that a conspiracy to frame Davinder Singh, owner of Ruby Jewellers in Poonch town, was carried out by rival jewellers. On September 19 security forces raided Ruby Jewellers after an Army tip and recovered five live AK‑47 rounds, Pakistani currency worth Rs 105, two Pakistani flags and thirty posters with alleged terror links from a second‑floor door. The material lay uncovered on the floor, leading investigators to suspect it had been placed there deliberately. Poonch senior superintendent Shafqat Hussain confirmed the items were planted but did not give further details. The J&K police arrested three suspects – Amandeep Singh and Arvind, both employees of the rival shop Sajjan Jewellers, and Mumtaz, a known history‑sheeter from Surankote who has 13 FIRs and was recently released from detention under the Public Safety Act. Police are also searching for Gagandeep Singh and Hardeep Singh, the brothers who own Sajjan Jewellers and are alleged masterminds of the plot. Investigators traced a series of WhatsApp messages from a Pakistani number that asked “Kam Kaisa Chal Raha Hai?” and a text to Davinder’s nephew saying “Aap ka samaan us jagah deliver ho jayega”. The family ignored the messages and alerted police. Earlier, an Army raid had traced a call from a Pakistani number to a family member but left after finding nothing. The rivalry between Ruby and Sajjan Jewellers surfaced as a motive. The family says the Singh brothers, who are relatives, began trying to frame Davinder soon after his return from Dehradun. An earlier incident on April 21 involved the assault of Rupinder Kour by the Singh brothers after a dispute over liquor bottles, and an FIR has been filed.