Tartan tat kings employee ‘abducted’ over theft claim

Galab Singh, Bulhar Singh and Dildar Singh Gold are on trial accused of terrorising Emrah Raza to admit the thefts.

On the first day of the case, Mr Raza told how he was left cowering inside the car as Bulhar Singh repeatedly punched him in the face and body.

Mr Raza, 32, said his attacker then told him he had a baseball bat and went to the boot of the Audi Q7 to pretend to get it.

The victim admitted that he had stolen merchandise from the Gold Brothers company, which owns a string of souvenir shops in the Capital including several on the Royal Mile, to sell on eBay and said the bosses had discovered his scam.

The accused each denied the charges over the alleged incident, which took place on June 3 last year, as they went on trial yesterday at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

Giving evidence, Mr Raza said he had started working for the Gold Brothers in November 2010, putting their products online for sale from their outlet at Kirkcaldy Indoor Market in the town’s High 
Street.

Mr Raza told the court that he stole products to sell over the internet himself and had later been convicted of that offence.

On June 3 last year, Mr Raza said he arrived at work to discover that the password had been changed on the Gold Brothers’ account for eBay.

Later, Mr Raza said he received a phone call from 29-year-old Dildar Singh Gold, telling him there was a parcel downstairs in the loading bay and asking him to go and collect it.

When he arrived, Mr Raza said the Audi was parked which belonged to Galab Singh, 35, who was sitting in the back seat with 25-year-old Bulhar in the driver’s seat and Dildar next to him.

Mr Raza said: “Dildar told me to get in and come for a ride.

“I went into the car back seat. Then we drove off and Galab asked me how I was doing and what I was up to.

“Then his voice changed suddenly. He was angry, something was on his mind. He wanted me to talk and answer him straight away.”

Mr Raza said the accused drove him around Kirkcaldy, telling him they were going to a police station and asking him “who owns the products?” that were being sold online.

He added: “Dildar was screaming that I had to tell him the truth and what happened exactly.”

Mr Raza told the court that Dildar snatched his iPhone and used his eBay application to check what he had been selling on the site.

He said: “We drove into a little field then we stopped. Then someone told Bulhar ‘go and batter him’.

“He obviously listened to them because he got out the car, came around, opened the door and started to hit me. He hit me in the face and body with his fist. I was hit many times. I started to cover myself, tried to get down, but he just punched me.

“Someone – it might have been Bulhar – said that they had a baseball bat in the boot. Bulhar walked to the car boot and opened it. I thought he was getting the baseball bat. He said, ‘I’m going to break your legs now’.”

Mr Raza said his attacker returned empty-handed, but punched him in the face again then he was driven back to his house in Kirkcaldy.

The case was adjourned until next month with Mr Raza expected to give further 
evidence.

Bulhar Singh, of Inverleith Place, Galab Singh, of Kinnear Road, and Dildar Singh Gold, of Inverleith Place, are accused of abducting Mr Raza, locking him in a car and detaining him against his will.

The trio is also accused of assaulting Mr Raza, repeatedly threatening him with violence, repeatedly punching him on the head and body to his injury, and robbing him of computer equipment, clothing, a camera, a chess set and cash.

All three deny the charges. The trial before Sheriff Alastair Thornton continues.