Highway robbers on prowl in Muktsar district

Highway robbers on prowl Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 28
Highways in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's home district Muktsar are turning unsafe with every passing day. In the past one week, two vehicle snatching incidents have occurred on the district roads, putting a question mark over the functioning of the district police, which otherwise claims that night dominance and special security measures had been taken due to the ongoing festival season.
On the night of October 26, unidentified persons snatched a truck loaded with paddy bags after thrashing its driver, who was sleeping in the vehicle after parking it on a roadside on the Jalalabad road.
"Driver Mohan Lal, who had to unload paddy bags at a rice mill, had parked the truck on the outskirts of the city, waiting to deliver the stock in the morning. But around 1 am, robbers attacked him and ran away with the loaded truck valued about Rs 11.5 lakh," said the police.
On October 21, five persons, including a girl, snatched an Alto car, which they had hired from Gidderbaha to go to Dabwali in Haryana, from its driver near Mehna village in Lambi assembly constituency. The police said the driver, Pardeep Kumar, had lodged a complaint alleging that the robbers posed as natives of Husnar village and hired the car for Rs 650 to go to Dabwali at about 6:30 pm on October 21.
"After reaching near Mehna village, an occupant told me that he was not feeling well and I slowed down the car. Taking advantage of the slow speed and the darkness outside, they thrashed me, snatched my cell phone and fled with the car," the complainant said.
These vehicle robbing incidents have created panic among the commuters who now say that the policemen must intensify patrolling, especially during night hours, so that they could travel without any fear.
"The festival season is on and people have to go to their relatives to greet them. But, the increasing number of theft and vehicle snatching incidents have been stopping them from doing so. It has even become a risky job to attend a wedding at night," said Mahinder Pal Nagpal of Malout.
Other residents also aired similar views saying that the attendance of policemen deployed on roads for night patrolling must be checked twice during their duty hours.
Senior Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh said, "Due to the ongoing festival season, all SHOs and other officials have already been told to intensify patrolling in their respective areas. Arrangements are also being made to keep an eye on history-sheeters. Policemen have also been deployed at all busy markets."

Courtesy: The Tribune