E-Paper
Ludhiana: Driver held hostage, robbed of truck, ₹20L goods
Despite the incident occurring on December 23, 2024, the division number 6 police registered an FIR on Monday, that too only under theft charges
Three unidentified miscreants forcibly took away a truck loaded with 26 tonnes of steel at Sua Road and abducted the driver, whom they assaulted and dumped near Sarinh village after tying his limbs with a piece of rope. Despite the incident occurring on December 23, 2024, the division number 6 police registered an FIR on Monday, that too only under theft charges.
The complainant, transporter Hargun Kumar of Palam Garden, Sahnewal, said the truck was loaded with steel parts on December 23 and was headed to another unit in Focal Point Phase 4. Due to a space issue, unloading was delayed and Kumar instructed driver Mangal Singh to park the truck outside the factory near a filling station.
Keeping in mind the previous incidents of battery theft from parked trucks, Kumar advised the driver to stay in the truck overnight. The events took a terrifying turn when, at around 10 pm, a man approached Mangal Singh, asking for a tobacco sachet. When Singh refused, the man entered the truck, followed by his two accomplices.
The trio overpowered Mangal Singh, tied his hands and legs and drove the truck towards the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road. They later dumped the injured driver near Sarinh village and fled with the truck. Singh, who was left tied in a field, managed to reach the main road early in the morning where he borrowed a phone to inform his employer about the incident.
Kumar, who personally reviewed CCTV footage from the area and toll plazas, identified three suspects and confirmed that the truck had crossed a toll plaza on the Malerkotla road. He claimed he had to repeatedly approach police officials to get an FIR registered. Despite his efforts, the case was registered for theft, not under snatching and kidnapping charges.
Kumar estimated his loss at over ₹25 lakh, including ₹20 lakh for the steel and ₹5 lakh for the truck. The police have slapped Sections 303 (2) and 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
When questioned about the delayed FIR and the theft charges, inspector Rajesh Thakur, station house officer (SHO) of the division number 6 police station, said, “The complainant may have recorded statements that led to theft sections being imposed.”
He added that the police have been scanning the CCTVs to identify the miscreants.
