Travelling trader from Uttar Pradesh robbed of ₹2L at knifepoint in Ludhiana’s hosiery hub.

Ludhiana: A 20-year-old trader from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, was assaulted and robbed of ₹2 lakh in cash shortly after arriving in Ludhiana's wholesale woollen market on Saturday. The victim, Rajdeep Naik, had traveled to the city specifically to purchase winter stock for his business in his home state when he was targeted by motorcycle-borne miscreants near Madhopuri Chowk.According to his statement to authorities, Naik arrived in Ludhiana by bus and hailed an auto-rickshaw to reach Madhopuri, a prominent hub for the city's hosiery and textile trade. The attack occurred with startling speed the moment he stepped out of the vehicle in front of a local hotel. Two unidentified men on a motorcycle intercepted him, immediately launching an assault with sharp-edged weapons. During the struggle, the robbers snatched a bag containing ₹2 lakh intended for wholesale purchases, a mobile phone, two chargers, and several critical travel documents.
Following the complaint, the Division Number 3 police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the unidentified assailants. ASI Sulakhan Singh, who is leading the investigation, confirmed that the case has been filed under sections 304 (snatching) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police teams are currently scanning CCTV footage from the Madhopuri Chowk area and surrounding commercial properties to identify the suspects and their vehicle.This brazen daylight robbery underscores a worrying trend in Ludhiana's major commercial corridors, which have increasingly become hotspots for opportunistic crime. Wholesale markets like Madhopuri, Field Gunj, and the areas surrounding the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) are frequently targeted due to the high volume of out-of-state traders who often carry large sums of cash. Criminals often monitor bus stands and railway stations, tailing unsuspecting visitors who appear to be carrying business capital.Beyond the wholesale hubs, police have noted a rise in "snatch-and-run" incidents along the Ferozepur Road and near the bypass entries, where easy escape routes allow motorcycle-borne gangs to vanish into traffic. Residents and visiting merchants are being urged to exercise extreme caution, particularly when alighting from public transport in crowded markets, and to avoid carrying large amounts of physical currency in visible bags.

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