Being chased by a Police Control Room (PCR) vehicle after an attempt to loot two vegetable vendors, a gang of snatchers rammed their car into the median on the Sector 17/22 road in wee hours of Monday.
Though the four suspects managed to flee on foot, they left behind the car that has been impounded. The incident comes just two days after three men on a bike snatched ₹9,000 from a vendor at knifepoint while he was on his way to the Sector-26 wholesale vegetable market around 5 am.
The Monday’s incident took place around 4:45 am when two brothers — Sandeep and Kuldeep of Kajheri — left for the wholesale market in their auto-rickshaw. The two sell vegetables in apni mandi and were on their way to buy the day’s stock.
When they reached the Sector 19/27 road, four men in car bearing a Punjab registration number waylaid them. The men started assaulting the brothers and tried to snatch their money and valuables.
However, they fled on seeing a PCR vehicle approaching the spot. As police gave chase, the speeding driver lost control of the car and rammed it into the median on the Sector 17/22 road. By the time cops reached there, they had fled leaving the damaged car behind.
{{/usCountry}}However, they fled on seeing a PCR vehicle approaching the spot. As police gave chase, the speeding driver lost control of the car and rammed it into the median on the Sector 17/22 road. By the time cops reached there, they had fled leaving the damaged car behind.
{{/usCountry}}A case has been registered under Sections 379B (snatching after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint), 511(attempting to commit offences) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code.
Cops are trying to trace the suspects with the help of the vehicle registration number. However, the number could be fake as police have recovered a few number plates from the car besides a sharp-edged weapon.
Vendors vulnerable in early hours
The Monday incident is not an isolated one, as such crimes wherein vegetable vendors are targeted in early hours have been reported multiple times in Chandigarh (see box). In most cases, the accused take advantage of darkness and remain unidentified.
“Mostly vendors go to the mandi all alone in the early hours to get the fresh produce, and are thus carrying cash. They are soft targets for gangs of snatchers,” said a senior police officer.
“We are putting up nakas near the vegetable market to keep check on such incidents. These crimes are suspected to be the handiwork of a particular gang,” said Uday Pal, deputy superintendent of police (DSP, East).