Vehicle-lifting gang busted with arrest of 4 in Ludhiana

Eleven stolen vehicles, including five pick-up vans, four trucks, one scooter and one motorcycle were recovered from the workshop.

A gang of vehicle-lifters was busted with the arrest of four of its members on Monday.

A gang of vehicle-lifters was busted with the arrest of four of its members. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The main accused, Rajinder Singh, who ran the vehicle repair shop near Gill village on Malerkotla Road is on the run. His accomplices, including his live-in partner Baljeet Kaur, Randhir Singh of Sangowal village, Manoj Kumar Gupta of Shimlapuri and Gurdeep Singh of Shaheed Karnail Nagar have been arrested.

Eleven stolen vehicles, including five pick-up vans, four trucks, one scooter and one motorcycle were recovered from the workshop. The cops also seized 17 engines of different vehicles, a gas cutter and other vehicle parts.

Commissioner of police Kaustubh Sharma said the accused dismantled vehicles, immediately after stealing them, and sold the parts.

“The arrested accused Manoj Kumar Gupta would dismantle stolen pick-up vans and trucks, and sell parts to scrap dealers,” he said.

Inspector Kulwant Singh, Focal Point station house officer, said earlier the accused used to steal motorcycles and scooters. “They started stealing heavy vehicles to earn more money,” he said.

A hunt is on for the arrest of the accused.