3 men snatch car at gunpoint in Pathankot, cops rule out terror angle

Tension prevailed in the district when some news agencies prematurely ran the story stating some “terrorists” had “hijacked” the car. But the police ruled out the terror angle citing the “local” appearance of the unidentified accused.

Panic gripped Pathankot district after three men snatched a car at gunpoint in Sujanpur town late on Tuesday evening. The police, however, were quick to rule out any cross-border terror angle in view of a recent attack at an Indian Air Force base here and another at a police station in nearby Dinanagar.

Police launched a manhunt in Pathankot district after three men snatched a car at gunpoint in Sujanpur town (Representational Image: Shutterstock)

Deputy superintendent of police Ranjit Singh told HT that one Gaurav Pathania of Banilodhi village was sitting in his Ford Figo car near a shopping area when three Punjabi-speaking youths came and asked him about a petrol pump.

As Pathania rolled down the window to talk to them, one of the accused put a revolver to his temple and made him get off. Two of the attackers took away the car while another one fled on a motorbike.

“We have sealed the roads and registered a case,” Singh said.

Tension prevailed in the district when some news agencies prematurely ran the story stating some “terrorists” had “hijacked” the car. But the DSP ruled out the terror angle citing the “local” appearance of the unidentified accused.

However, the police and the army remained on high alert, though, as a probe team for the Pathankot air base attack is expected to reach the district on Sunday to gather evidences.