Ludhiana witnessed a shocking incident on Tuesday, September 9, when a woman narrowly escaped a robbery attempt inside a moving autorickshaw near the Jalandhar bypass. The victim, identified as Meena Kumar, had boarded the auto to travel from Jalandhar Bypass to catch a bus from Phillaur to Nawanshahr. Unknown to her, the three men in the vehicle—including the driver—were robbers.

As the auto neared its destination, one of the men asked the driver to slow down before the group attempted to overpower her. They tied her hands with a scarf and threatened her with sharp-edged weapons. However, Meena displayed remarkable courage by screaming for help and hanging out of the autorickshaw to grab the attention of passersby.

According to eyewitness accounts, the woman clung to the moving vehicle for nearly half a kilometer until locals intervened, intercepting the auto and overpowering two of the assailants. One of the robbers managed to escape, but police arrested the other two suspects at the scene.

The bravery of the woman has drawn widespread praise on social media, though the incident has also triggered criticism of Punjab’s deteriorating law and order situation.

Many users on X lashed out at the state government, accusing it of failing to curb rising cases of chain snatching, mobile thefts, and robberies.

Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). A manhunt has been launched to track down the absconding accused, while the two arrested suspects will be produced before court.