Tractor seized by authorities spirited away from impound in Manesar

Vehicle was seized by taxation department authorities as it was being illegally transported without proper documents

A tractor-trolley loaded with 4.5 tonnes of iron scrap was stolen from a parking lot near Panchgaon Chowk in Manesar, where vehicles seized by different departments are kept, police officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

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The vehicle was seized by the Haryana government taxation department authorities as it was being illegally transported without proper documents at about 6.15pm on Tuesday on NH-48. Officials brought it to the parking lot after issuing challans, they added.

Hardly within two hours, the security guards deployed on the premises alerted the officials that unidentified suspects stole the vehicle.

A senior police official said that at least four to five suspects entered the premises while the guards were busy preparing dinner.

“By the time they could catch the suspects, they fled with the vehicle,” he said, adding the suspects probably used spare keys to steal it.

Krishan Kumar, the contractor who operates the parking lot, said that it was for the first time that such a theft took place.

“Earlier, there had been incidents where the seized vehicles were taken away forcibly while being brought to the lot but never such a theft has taken place,” he said.

Kumar said they had immediately alerted the police control room for help. “The vehicle must belong to some local trader for which they dared to steal it,” he said.

He added that the guards later approached Manesar police station to submit a complaint but officials asked them to inform the taxation officials to lodge a complaint.

Later on the complaint of the assistant taxation officer Rajesh Gupta, an FIR was registered against unidentified suspects under sections 380 (theft from dwelling house) of Indian Penal Code at Manesar police station on Wednesday evening.

HT reached out to Gupta, but he did not respond to requests for comment.

Subhash Boken, public relations officer of Gurugram Police, said that they have the registration number and other details regarding the tractor owner. “We will arrest the suspects soon,” he said.