Punjab: A horrific incident happened on the highway, the nephew of the brave woman narrated his ordeal

Punjab: Recalling the incident that happened with his aunt Kiran Devi on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar national highway on Monday, Ganesh said, “When my aunt was fighting with the accused, they pointed a sharp weapon at us and threatened to kill us if we raised our voice.” Ganesh, a resident of Dhandari Kalan, while speaking to The Tribune on Wednesday, said he, his aunt and her two sons first boarded an auto from Dhandari to Jalandhar bypass, from where they hired another auto to reach Phillaur. Kiran Devi had to take a bus from Phillaur to Nawanshahr. On the way, two passengers—who later turned out to be the driver’s companions—suddenly snatched Ganesh’s mobile phone. They then attempted to rob Kiran Devi of about Rs 3,000 in cash. Kiran Devi risked her life by clinging to the vehicle while resisting the snatchers. Ganesh recalled, “Suddenly we found ourselves trapped in the moving auto and panicked. My aunt’s children also started crying. When my aunt tried to resist, the accused pointed a sharp weapon at us and warned that he would kill us if we made noise. My aunt started screaming for help and clung to the auto desperately while her legs were dragging on the road and she also suffered injuries.” Ganesh said that his aunt’s courage saved her life. The attackers had already threatened to kill her and her children, which provoked her to retaliate. He further said, “As the struggle continued, the auto overturned. My aunt suffered injuries, though not serious, and I was also injured. Thankfully, her sons did not suffer any physical harm, but they were in shock for hours.” According to Ganesh, his aunt went into depression after the incident. Having lost her mobile phone, she has become incommunicado and is limiting her interactions with people to recover from the shock. Following the incident, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma directed all station incharges to intensify checking of auto-rickshaw drivers and check their criminal background. He also directed the police to increase street patrolling to prevent such incidents in future.