4 people snatch SUV in Pathankot; security tightened

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Pathankot, November 14

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The border police districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Batala were put on high alert after four Punjabi-speaking men snatched an Innova vehicle on Tuesday night from near Madhopur, 8 km from here.

Within an hour of the incident, nine check posts sprang up on the Pathankot-Gurdaspur-Batala-Amritsar highway.

IG (Border) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar said a manhunt had been launched to nab the accused. “The terror angle cannot be ruled out. We are not in a position to take any risks, especially after the January 2016 terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force station. Six teams have been formed to crack the case. Information has been sought from the two toll barriers located on the Gurdaspur-Pathankot and Batala-Amritsar highways,” said the IG.

Police officials said the accused hired the taxi from Jammu and were bound for Amritsar. When the vehicle reached Madhopur, one of them pointed a gun at the driver, Raj Kumar, and forced him to alight.

Minutes before the snatching, all four had dinner at a restaurant near Madhopur where they picked up a quarrel with the owner.

Raj Kumar rang up the control room following which Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni and senior police officials reached the spot. The hotel owner was also questioned.