E-Paper
Eight vehicle robberies in October put Ludhiana police in a tizzy
Seven two-wheelers and a car stolen at an average of two per week, but only one scooter recovered.
Even as robbers struck eight times in October, snatching residents’ two- and four-wheelers at gunpoint, police continue to grope in the dark about the criminals behind these cases.
In an average of two robberies per week in the district, residents lost seven two-wheelers and one car to robbers.
In all cases, the accused assaulted the victims and drove away their vehicles, often containing other belongings and cash.
While police are apprehensive of the robbers misusing these vehicles for bigger crimes by installing fake number plates and also sometimes changing the colour of the vehicles, they remain clueless about the gangs behind these incidents and have managed to solve only one of the eight cases.
The motorcycle recovered belonged to Tibba road resident Rajinder Kumar, who was targeted on October 2.
According to Rajinder, he works as a cutter master in a hosiery factory and had bought the motorcycle on a monthly instalments. After he lost his motorcycle to robbers, he could not have thought of buying another vehicle due to his meagre earnings. But, luck favoured him and the police managed to recover his motorcycle.
“I used to commute to work in autos after my motorcycle was stolen,” he said.
Similarly, police in September had recovered a scooter stolen in May, but its appearance was completely changed.
Pankaj Bansal of Naulakha Road was robbed of his brown scooter on May 19. A case in this regard was registered at the Division Number 2 police station. The police had recovered the scooter on September 23, but found that the vehicle’s number plate was changed and its colour was switched to white.
Commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal said in such cases, police lodge the FIRs immediately, so that the vehicles were not be misused in another crime. “Police have found involvement of local criminals in such crimes as they need to meet their need for drugs,” he added.
Robbers having a field day
October 29: Two men robbed a Machhiwara resident of his motorcycle and mobile phone at Kohara-Machhiwara road
October 29: Four men snatched a farm labourer’s motorcycle in Kaunke Khosa village
October 28: An elderly man was robbed of his scooter, cash and mobile phone while he was visiting his plot in Mani Shah Colony near Alamgir village
October 23: Two miscreants robbed a Samrala resident of his brand new Hyundai Aura car at gunpoint near his house. The man was parking the car in the parking space of his apartment complex when the robbers struck. The victim had bought the car only five days ago
October 14: A 32-year-old man was robbed of his motorcycle near Arya College for Boys
October 10: Three armed robbers made off with a scooter containing Rs 3.42 lakh in cash after hitting the vehicle with their car and injuring its rider near the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) on Gill Road
October 9: A coloniser was robbed of his motorcycle at gunpoint on Jassiyan Road
October 2: Two scooter-borne men robbed a Tibba Road resident of his motorcycle and fled. The motorcycle was later recovered with the arrest of the accused.
