Auto driver, 2 aides rob woman passenger at knifepoint in Chandigarh

An auto-rickshaw driver and two others have been booked for robbing a woman passenger at knifepoint near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on Wednesday.

The woman, who used to work as a nurse and is currently unemployed, lives as a paying guest at Kumbra village in Mohali. She has hired the auto from Kumbra Chowk to come to Chandigarh for a job interview on Wednesday morning, said police.

Besides the driver, there were two men sitting in the three-wheeler, she told police. As they reached near the Chandigarh Model Jail in Sector 51, both passengers pulled out a knife and snatched her handbag containing ₹500 and important documents. The incident took place around 9am.

As the woman raised the alarm, a police control vehicle (PCR) patrolling near the Sector 50/51 roundabout heard her cries for help and gave the auto a chase.

During the chase, the auto lost balance and overturned. The three men managed to flee into the jungle area in Sector 51. The woman was rescued by the PCR personnel, assistant sub-inspector Ravinder Kumar and head constable Manvinder Singh. During medical examination, no injury mark was found on her.

Police have taken the auto in their possession and are making efforts to trace and arrest the accused. A case has been registered under Section 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code at the police station in Sector 49.