Four held for looting truck, demanding ransom after taking driver hostage

They stopped the truck laden with cigarettes on January 27, posing as staff of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The truck was parked inside the mandi near Kerki village and its driver Tariq was kept hostage in the house of constable Sonu Yadav. The accused then telephoned truck owner Saalim of Amroha and demanded ₹20 lakh to release the truck and Tariq.

MEERUT Four people, including two police constables, were arrested on charges of looting a truck laden with cigarettes and demanding ransom of ₹20 lakh after holding its driver hostage in Bijnor district on Monday, said police.

Investigation is still underway to arrest the remaining people who were also involved in the crime. (Pic for representation)

They said two of the accused Sajid and Guddu of Lalpur village in Moradabad district hatched the conspiracy with constables Sonu Yadav and Lokendra.

The office of superintendent of police, Bijnor said that constable Sonu Yadav was posted as driver on dial 112 and Lokendra was deployed at Bairaage police post in Bijnor.

They stopped the truck laden with cigarettes on January 27, posing as staff of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The truck was parked inside the mandi near Kerki village and its driver Tariq was kept hostage in the house of constable Sonu Yadav.

The accused then telephoned truck owner Saalim of Amroha and demanded ₹20 lakh to release the truck and Tariq. The worried owner reported the matter to Bijnor police and SP Bijnor Dinesh Singh formed three teams to investigate the matter.

Subsequently, the teams arrested accused Sajid and Guddu along with constables Sonu Yadav and Lokendra. The two cops were suspended and sent in jail on Monday. The truck laden with cigarettes was also recovered from the mandi.

The SP office said that investigation was still underway to arrest the remaining people who were also involved in the crime.