Auto workshop owner robbed of car, cash in Ludhiana

A gang of six men allegedly abducted an auto workshop owner in the car he was travelling near Sahnewal and robbed him of cash, gold and debit cards before pushing him out and fleeing with the vehicle, police said on Tuesday.

The accused kept on driving the car in Sahnewal, Khanna, Machhiwara for at least five hours after blindfolding the man, they said.

The miscreants robbed the man of cash, gold, debit cards and drove away the Maruti Suzuki Swift car after pushing him out of the moving car, police said, adding the miscreants had withdrawn ?25,000 from his bank account using his debit card.

The victim Pritpal Singh, 39, a resident of Baba Shri Chand Colony of Mundian Kalan, sought help from a passerby and informed the police. According to the victim, the car which the accused took along belongs to one of his customers, who left it at his workshop.

Pritapal Singh said that he left the workshop on Tuesday evening for Khanna to collect payment of ?10,000. After collecting payment, he visited one of his friends in Doraha. When he reached near Sahnewal, he stopped on the roadside, two men came there on a bike. The miscreants overpowered him and pushed him inside the car. Meanwhile, four of their aides also reached there.

The accused covered his eyes with his jacket and also tied his arms. The accused robbed him of ?13,000, his gold chain, and a silver bracelet.

The accused reached near Khanna bus stand where they withdrew ?25,000 from an ATM using his debit card. After this, they dropped him in Samrala at around 5 am and drove away with the car.

The victim sought help from a passerby and informed the police.

ASI Dharminder Singh, incharge at police post Giaspura said that an FIR under sections 365 (kidnapping), 379-B (snatching using force), 384 (extortion), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC and sections, 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been filed.

The ASI the accused were captured in the CCTVs, but the footage is not clear due to dense fog. The police also scanned the CCTVs footage of Khanna ATM where the money was withdrawn, but the accused had covered their faces with a mask.