68 quintals of stolen rice recovered

Tribune News Service

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Gurdaspur, February 1

The district police impounded a truck loaded with 195 stolen basmati rice bags, each bag weighing 35 kg, late yesterday evening. But the truck occupants, including the driver, managed to flee.

Gurpreet Singh Toor, Senior Superintendent of Police, said the truck belonged to Joban Masih, who was wanted in 16 cases registered against him at various police stations in the district. Masih was recently released on bail from the Gurdaspur Central Jail, he said, adding that he had been heading a gang of rice thieves in the district for a long time.

The estimated cost of the recovered foodgrain is Rs 5.5 lakh. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered against Masih and his accomplice Bhajja Masih of Abul Khair village at the Kahnuwan police station.