Gharuan, 19 January 2025: A cab owner’s swift actions and a GPS tracker led to the arrest of three robbers who fled with his taxi near Chandigarh University, Gharuan, within an hour of the carjacking.
Rajesh Sood, 54, a Ludhiana-based taxi operator from Haibowal Kalan, recounted to police that his Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was being driven by his employee, Lovepreet Singh, on Thursday night. Singh was ferrying three passengers from Shimla to Kharar when the incident occurred.
Upon reaching Kharar, the passengers, dressed as Nihangs, persuaded Singh to drive them past the toll plaza on the Kharar-Ludhiana road in exchange for extra fare.
However, a dispute over the destination ensued, Sood told the police. During the argument, one of the men attempted to strangle Singh using a cloth. Singh resisted by inserting his fingers between the cloth and his neck.
The passengers continued to assault Singh, threatened him with swords, and eventually forced him out of the car. They fled with the vehicle and ₹12,500 in cash at around 12:15 am.
GPS Tracker, Quick Coordination Lead to Arrest
Singh immediately informed Sood and the police about the robbery. Leveraging the GPS tracker he had installed in the car, Sood began tracking its movement in real time.
The tracker showed the car heading toward Ludhiana. Sood, along with his brother and nephew, rushed to Samrala Chowk, where a PCR van was stationed.
“I informed the police about the situation and shared the car’s location. The police immediately blocked the road by placing two trucks at the chowk,” Sood said.
In a strategic move, Sood sent his nephew 200 meters ahead of the barricade to monitor the vehicle’s approach. Once the car was spotted, Sood used his phone to remotely disable the engine. This left the robbers stranded at the check post, where the police swiftly arrested them.
The suspects, identified as Anshpreet Singh and Hardeep Singh, both in their early 20s and natives of Jalandhar, were taken to Moti Nagar police station. The third accused, a minor, was sent to a juvenile justice home. The Sadar Kharar police later lodged an FIR under Sections 304 and 3(5) of the BNS Act.
Sood’s proactive measures showcased how technology could thwart crimes. However, the incident also raised concerns over rising carjackings and snatching cases, especially during late hours. Despite Mohali police deploying additional PCR vehicles to address such incidents, this brazen carjacking highlighted loopholes.
