How an SOS call on WhatsApp helped catch a suspected thief middle of night in Muktsar

In a bold move that set the city abuzz, Rupinder Batra, the SAD municipal councillor from Ward 7 here, along with area residents, nabbed a suspected thief in her locality at about 2 am earlier this week.

A video of Batra confronting the suspect has gone viral on social media and has drawn praise from various quarters, including local residents and politicians, who lauded her bravery and commitment to the community.

Batra, who resides in the city’s Dashmesh Nagar area, said, “Since some thefts have occurred in our area in the past, we had created a WhatsApp group for our locality. As soon as we received an SOS call on the group on Wednesday at about 2 am, my husband, son, and I came out. We, along with some area residents, nabbed the suspect, who also belongs to the same locality, and handed him over to the police.”

“The suspect, Arun Kumar, is said to be a drug addict. We suspect his involvement in some previous thefts as well. As a municipal councillor, it is my duty to stand with the area residents, and that is exactly what I did,” she added.

Muktsar City police have registered a case against Arun Kumar under sections 305 and 331(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint lodged by Charanjit Singh, who alleged that Rs 20,000 and some gold ornaments were stolen from his residence.