Highway horror: Braveheart woman’s nephew recalls ordeal

While my aunt was fighting the accused, they pointed a sharp weapon at us and threatened to kill us if we raised our voice, recalls Ganesh while narrating the ordeal he faced along with his aunt, Kiran Devi, on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar national highway on Monday.

Related news: Woman clings on to auto for 500m as 3 miscreants try to rob her, two nabbed

Talking to The Tribune on Wednesday, Ganesh a resident of Dhandari Kalan said, he, his aunt and her two sons had first boarded an auto from Dhandari to Jalandhar bypass, from where they hired another auto to reach Phillaur. Kiran Devi was to take a bus from Phillaur to Nawanshahr.

On the way, two passengers—who later turned out to be the driver’s accomplices—suddenly snatched Ganesh’s mobile phone. They then attempted to rob Kiran Devi of around Rs 3,000 in cash. Kiran Devi, risked her life by clinging on to the vehicle while resisting the snatchers.

“Suddenly we found ourselves trapped inside the moving auto and panicked. Even my aunt’s children began crying. As my aunt tried to resist, the accused brandished a sharp weapon at us, warning that he would kill us if we raised any alarm. My aunt then began shouting for help and clung desperately to the auto, even as her feet were dragged on the road and she sustained injuries,” recalled Ganesh.

Ganesh said his aunt’s courage saved their lives. The assailants had already threatened to kill him and her children, which provoked her into fighting back. “As the struggle continued, the auto overturned. My aunt suffered injuries, though not critical, and I was also injured. Thankfully, her sons were physically unharmed, but they remained traumatised for hours,” he added.

According to Ganesh, his aunt was left in depression after the incident. Having lost her mobile phone, she became incommunicado and has avoided meeting people as she recovers from the shocking experience.

Following the incident, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma directed all SHOs to intensify checking of auto-rickshaw drivers and verify their criminal backgrounds. He also instructed the police to step up road patrolling to prevent such incidents in future.