The Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested six people in the Ludhiana robbery case seizing Rs 5 crore from their possession.

On June 10, at least 11 people had robbed the office of CMS Securities, a cash management services company, in Ludhiana's New Rajguru Nagar locality after overpowering security guards.

Addressing a press conference, Ludhiana Commissioner Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said police have identified all people involved in the robbery, six of whom were nabbed while a hunt to round others in is on.  A look-out circular has also been issued to all airports to prevent them from fleeing the country, he said.

The Commissioner said that the robbery's mastermind was one Mandeep Singh Mani who used to work as a driver with the cash transporting company till four years ago.  He allegedly planned the heist with a woman friend of his who has been identified as Manjinder Kaur and is yet to be arrested. However, her husband, Hapreet Singh has been arrested by the police from Barnala. Sidhu said the robbers came to the company office in two group – five on two motor bikes and others in a car with Manjinder Kaur. The car, he said, had mounted atop it a flickering beacon, common with cash collection firm vans.

The officer said they zeroed in on Mani, who being an ex cash collection firm employee, knew about the hack that if the van had a flickering beacon it was not to be stopped by police for checks.

He also said the beacon can be only be operated by some expert, such as a former employee.  Police also was helped in their hunt for the robbers by the GPRS chip installed in the vehicle.

The robbery was meticulously planned with none of the gang members carrying a mobile phone to prevent any location trace, the officer said. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for the Ludhiana Police for solving the robbery, which is highest so far in terms of money robbed in a such a heist in Punjab. Meanwhile, the Ludhiana CP has constituted a five-member committee to be headed by Joint Commissioner Police Saumya Mishra to find out the exact cash robbed.

The Commissioner said the cash transporting firm has not been able to furnish the actual amount looted and has been giving a varying figures.