Carjackings: Police probe reaches nowhere

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 18

The UT police have failed to make any headway in two incidents of carjacking that took place in the city in a period of less than three months. 

While a Toyota Crysta was robbed at gunpoint on December 17 last year, a Hyundai Verna was taken away in a similar fashion on March 15. Both vehicles are still untraced though the police had arrested members of the Jodha gang, including Yodha Singh, alias Jodha, in robbery cases and claimed that the MUV was robbed by them.

Four persons had robbed a Toyota Crysta from its driver at gunpoint on the road separating Sectors 45 and 33. The MUV driver, Jagdeep Singh, was returning to the taxi stand in Sector 46 after dropping a passenger when the incident took place at around 2 am. As soon as Jagdeep took the road, a silver Tata Indica was crashed into the MUV in the rear with an intention to stop it. As Jagdeep Singh alighted from his vehicle to see what had happened, four persons, including one armed with a pistol, got off the car, threatened him and took the MUV. 

The owner of the MUV, Manjit Singh, who had purchased the vehicle a few days before it was robbed, said he had lost hope of getting the vehicle back. “I have asked the police to give me an untraceable report so that I can get a claim from the insurance company,” he added. 

After arresting Jodha and his accomplices, the police had claimed that the MUV was being used by some gangster in Punjab. However, the MUV could not be recovered yet.

In the other case, a new Hyundai Verna car was robbed at gunpoint in Sector 35 on March 15. In this case too, the miscreants had crashed their SUV into the rear of the victim’s car with an aim to stop it. The car driver was then robbed of the vehicle at gunpoint. 

Cops claimed that efforts were being made to identify the accused. “The matter is under investigation,” said a police official. 

Modus operandi similar in both cases

• On December 17 last year, four persons had robbed a Toyota Crysta from its driver at gunpoint on the road separating Sectors 45 and 33. On March 15, a new Hyundai Verna car was robbed at gunpoint in Sector 35.
• In both cases, the miscreants had crashed their car into the rear of the one being driven by the victim with an aim to stop it. The car driver was then robbed of the vehicle at gunpoint.
• Both vehicles are still untraced while cops say efforts are being made to identify the accused.