Vend worker alleges robbery, cops say it’s theft

Ludhiana: Acting late in a case of alleged robbery at a liquor vend, Koom Kalan police lodged an FIR five days after the incident while dismissing most of the claims made by the complainant. The alleged incident occured on December 12 when six unidentified robbers barged into a liquor vend in Haadiwal village, held the worker captive and took away cash, mobile phone and liquor worth Rs 1.5 lakh (approximately). But police termed the incident as theft and not robbery and registered a case accordingly.
The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Vinay Kumar, who worked at a liquor vend in Haadiwal, situated along the banks of Satluj river.
Speaking to TOI, Vijay said, “I was sleeping inside the vend on December 12, when someone opened its gate around 10pm. As soon as the accused entered, I woke up. There were six men. The accused overpowered me and tied my hands with a piece of rope. Thereafter, they blindfolded me. Another man kept a sharp-edged weapon on my neck and threatened me to keep sitting and not to raise an alarm.”
“The accused snatched my mobile phone and Rs 10,000 cash from the drawer. Thereafter, they started filling liquor bottles in the sacks. All I could understand was that some of them would go on a bike to drop the sack filled with liquor bottles and would return in some time. Then they would repeat the task. The accused took away liquor worth Rs 1.5 lakh,” he claimed.
Vinay said after the accused left, he somehow managed to remove the piece of cloth from his eyes and rushed to a nearby house. He further informed his employer and also the police.
Sub-inspector Kulbir Singh, SHO, Koom Kalan police station, said, “At times, people exaggerate while lodging a complaint. The police team visited the spot and the initial probe suggested that it was a theft and not a robbery. It seems the worker had gone somewhere and someone executed a theft in the meantime.”