PHAGWARA: A dramatic incident unfolded on the Ludhiana-Phillaur highway near Dhiayana when three miscreants in an auto-rickshaw attempted to loot a woman passenger. The victim, identified as Meena Kumari, had boarded the auto from Jalandhar bypass to reach Phillaur, from where she intended to catch a bus to Nawanshahr.
According to her statement, midway through the journey one of the men stopped the auto on the pretext of using the washroom. When he returned, the men forcibly made her sit in the middle seat. A few kilometres ahead, when she asked the driver to stop, the men ignored her request and instead brandished sharp-edged weapons, attempting to tie her hands with her dupatta. Displaying remarkable courage, Meena resisted and hung outside the moving auto for nearly half a kilometre, crying for help.
A car trailing behind recorded the entire incident on video, while another driver tried to intercept the auto. In the chaos, the auto collided with two cars, damaging them, as the driver recklessly sped away. The situation took a turn when the auto lost control and overturned. While one of the assailants managed to flee, two were overpowered by bystanders and handed over to the police.
SHO Amritpal Singh described the episode as “deeply disturbing, ” confirming that the arrested suspects will be presented in court for remand, after which efforts will be intensified to apprehend their accomplice. The incident has raised serious concerns about lax policing on the highway, where commuters, particularly women, have increasingly been targeted in such brazen attacks.