Chandigarh: Man arrested for fleeing with government vehicle

The accused, identified as Anand Kumar, 43, a resident of Phase 2, Ram Darbar, allegedly drove off with the vehicle belonging to the municipal corporation (MC) while it was undergoing repairs in an industrial area.

According to the complainant, Kuldeep Singh, 29, a driver employed by the MC and a resident of Dadumajra, the incident took place around 11:20 a.m. at plot no. 114, industrial zone phase 2. He was supervising the repairs of the official vehicle , a Tata Intra garbage truck, when Kumar allegedly entered the vehicle, started it and sped away.

“I called him several times, but he didn’t stop. I immediately took my brother Inderjit with me in a private vehicle and chased him,” Singh said. The chase ended at Sector 42/43/52/53 Chowk, where the complainant and his brother intercepted the accused and recovered the vehicle. The police received a wireless communication about the theft of the vehicle and dispatched a team led by assistant sub-inspector Dharmender Singh to the crime scene. Officers reached the spot and recorded Singh’s statement. Based on the information provided, Kumar was arrested from the spot.

A case was registered under sections 303(2) (theft) and 317(2) (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the NBS at the Sector 31 police station. “The accused was taken into custody and investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the crime,” an official said.