- Three men tried to steal an electricity transformer in Takhtupura village, Punjab
- Their car got stuck in a muddy paddy field during the theft attempt late Saturday night
- The suspects returned with a recovery truck, which also became stuck in the mud
A transformer theft plan in Punjab's Moga ran into an obstacle: the mud. The alleged thieves' car got stuck in a waterlogged paddy field, and when they returned with a recovery truck to pull it out, that too became trapped.
The incident took place in Takhtupura village, where three men allegedly reached a farmer's field late Saturday night with the intention of stealing an electricity transformer.
According to a complaint filed by farmer Harjinder Singh, the accused allegedly tried to dismantle and steal the transformer installed in his field. However, their car became badly stuck in the soft, muddy soil. After failing to get the vehicle out, the suspects reportedly abandoned it and fled.
The alleged thieves were not done yet. The next morning, they returned with a heavy recovery truck to pull the car out of the field. That plan did not go much better. The recovery truck also became stuck in the mud, leaving both vehicles stranded in the field.
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The sight raised the suspicions of nearby villagers. The suspects gave different explanations for being there, but villagers questioned them and eventually uncovered the alleged transformer theft plan.
The villagers caught one of the accused, identified as Lovepreet Singh of Alkada village in Barnala district, and handed him over to the police.
Police have registered a case against three accused: Lovepreet Singh, Jasdeep Singh of Khote village in Moga, and Wakil Singh of Goneana in Bathinda district.
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Police have taken Lovepreet Singh into custody and seized both the car and the recovery truck. The other two accused are at large, and efforts are underway to trace them.
DSP Nihal Singh Wala Anwar Ali confirmed over the phone that a case had been registered against three people and that one accused had been arrested.
Police are also investigating whether the accused may have been involved in earlier incidents of transformer and electricity equipment theft in rural areas.
