Posing as passengers, trio snatches auto-rickshaw in Chandigarh’s Sector 29

Victim told the police that he earned a living by driving an auto-rickshaw, CH-01TA-8569, which he had borrowed from one Deepak against a daily rent of ₹330

A 22-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was robbed of his vehicle by three men posing as passengers near the Sector 29/30 light point on Tuesday evening.

Victim claimed the auto also had his wallet containing ₹250, along with important documents. (iStock)

The victim, Dheeraj Kumar, lives in Khuda Ali Sher.

He told the police that he earned a living by driving an auto-rickshaw, CH-01TA-8569, which he had borrowed from one Deepak against a daily rent of ₹330.

He said on Tuesday evening, while he was going towards the Sector 20/21/33/34 chowk, three men standing on the roadside in Sector 21 signalled him to stop.

They asked him to drop them at Mauli Jagran, 8 km away, and agreed to pay ₹300.

On the way, they asked him to drive towards the Sectors 29/30/31/32 chowk. While following their instructions, he overheard them planning to rob him of his three-wheeler, following which he stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road, Kumar said.

He further said he stepped out of the auto and asked the trio to step down, when one of them took the driver’s seat and the other two pushed him.

Afraid, he stepped away from the vehicle and trio drove off with it, following which he alerted the police control room at 112. A PCR vehicle, along with cops from the Industrial Area police station, reached the spot and launched a probe.

Kumar claimed the auto also had his wallet containing ₹250, along with important documents.

Meanwhile, as per sources, police had detained one of the three suspects, who is a resident of Sector 20 and is 28 years old.

All three accused were booked under Sections 379-A (snatching) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at the Industrial Area police station.