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Man taken for a ride: Abducted, beaten inside SUV, robbed and dumped
CCTV footage of the entire route between Kamta and Vrindavan Yojna being scanned to trace the vehicle; help of surveillance and other electronic methods being taken, say police
LUCKNOW In a shocking incident that has sparked political outrage and concerns over public safety in the city, a 25-year-old man was allegedly abducted from near Kamta crossing, assaulted in a moving SUV and then dumped on the roadside in the Vrindavan Yojna area after being robbed of his mobile phone.
The incident took place around 11pm on January 17 under the Vibhuti Khand police station limits. But an FIR was registered on January 19, after the matter surfaced.
“Efforts are on to identify and arrest the accused...strict action will be taken once they are traced. Teams have been formed while CCTV footage of the entire route between Kamta and Vrindavan Yojna is being scanned to trace the vehicle. Help of surveillance and other electronic methods is being taken,” SHO Amar Singh was quoted in a release by Lucknow Police on Tuesday.
According to the FIR, the complainant, Anoop Singh, a resident of Krishna Vihar Colony in Chinhat, had stopped near the Awadh Bus Stand at Kamta crossing in his white car along with his driver, Amit. Singh sent his driver to a nearby eatery to fetch some items.
“In the meantime, an unidentified youth suddenly opened the door of my car, sat inside and attempted to start the vehicle. When I objected, he snatched the car keys and fled,” Singh stated in the FIR.
As Singh chased him, four to five unidentified men allegedly arrived in a numberless black SUV and forcibly dragged him into the vehicle. The assailants then sped away, said police.
Inside the moving SUV, Singh was allegedly abused, threatened with death and repeatedly slapped and punched. The attackers also robbed him of his mobile phone, the FIR stated.
The accused drove Singh for nearly 15km along Shaheed Path before reaching Vrindavan Yojna area, where he was again beaten and dumped on the roadside late at night.
“With the help of passersby, the victim contacted the police by dialling emergency number 112,” officials said.
“A case was registered under Sections 191(2), 115(2), 352, 351(3), 127(2) and 304(2) of the BNS,” said the SHO.
The incident triggered a strong political reaction, with the UP Congress attacking the state government over the law and order situation.
“At Kamta crossing, a man is brazenly abducted in broad daylight, shoved into an SUV, beaten while being driven around on Shaheed Path and the Yogi government’s police don’t even get the wind of it,” the party said in a post on X.
“Are UP’s roads no longer safe? When vehicles without number plates roam fearlessly in the state capital, what does law and order even mean?” the post added.
