Ludhiana: Four unidentified men allegedly abducted a truck driver from outside an industrial unit in Focal Point. They allegedly dumped him in Patiala and fled with a truck carrying around 24 tonnes of iron scrap worth lakhs.Focal Point police registered a case on the complaint of transporter Rajesh Prashar, a resident of Indra Nagar in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.According to the complainant, his driver Devendra Kumar transported a consignment of iron scrap from Ghaziabad to Ludhiana in a 12-wheeler truck (UP-15-CT-9000). The truck reached an industrial unit in Focal Point around 8am and was scheduled to be unloaded there. After completing entry formalities at the gate, the driver was informed that unloading would be delayed due to a technical issue in the unit’s machinery.Prashar said the truck remained parked outside the industrial unit, while the driver rested inside the vehicle. Around 3am, when Devendra woke up to relieve himself,four unidentified men allegedly overpowered him and snatched the truck keys.“The accused gagged the driver, tied up his hands and feet, and confined him inside the truck. Then they drove towards Patiala. After assaulting him, they dumped him there and fled with the truck loaded with iron scrap. His mobile phone and wallet were also taken away,” Prashar alleged.After being abandoned, the driver sought help from a passerby and informed the police. He later narrated the incident to the transporter.Prashar said the stolen iron scrap was worth nearly Rs 11 lakh, while the truck itself was valued at around Rs 13 lakh.He claimed that the driver told him the accused were conversing in Punjabi. “I also did not receive any toll transaction alerts after the incident, which makes me suspect that the truck may still be somewhere within Punjab,” he said.Investigating officer ASI Mangal Das said an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons and efforts are underway to trace both the accused and the stolen vehicle. Police are examining possible leads and checking CCTV footage from the area and adjoining routes.
