Can you be accused of stealing your own car? In Chandigarh you most certainly can - as the city’s traffic police have proved. They recently booked a Fatehgarh Sahib resident for driving away his own car, which was impounded at a post to check drunken driving.
In a complaint filed by a constable posted with the traffic wing of Chandigarh Police, Jasmohinder Singh has accused Baljot Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib of stealing his own Honda City (CH03H-0788). It was impounded by the traffic police at the naka on the dividing road between Sectors 35 and 36 on Wednesday night.
Baljot was found to be drunk when he was stopped at the naka while driving the car with three other men, and his vehicle was impounded. A policeman jotted down the men’s mobile phone numbers, and proceeded to take the car to the police lines in Sector 29.
{{/usCountry}}Baljot was found to be drunk when he was stopped at the naka while driving the car with three other men, and his vehicle was impounded. A policeman jotted down the men’s mobile phone numbers, and proceeded to take the car to the police lines in Sector 29.
{{/usCountry}}However, the car developed a snag at Attawa Chowk. Unable to restart it, he locked the car and returned to the naka to get a recovery van to tow the vehicle to the police lines.
However, before his return, the accused opened the car with a duplicate key and drove away.
A case under Sections 379 (theft) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Baljot Singh and his unidentified friends, who allegedly helped him steal the car.
The registration number of the vehicle was traced to an address in Sector 22 Chandigarh, but police found Baljot Singh had bought the car two years ago from the person on whose name the vehicle had been registered.
Police are looking for the accused, whose mobile phones are at present switched off.