Punjab Newsline | Jalandhar

A wholesale trader in gas stoves allegedly lost ₹5–6 lakh in cash from his Thar after a minor road accident near Guru Nanak Mission Chowk and Oxford Hospital in Jalandhar late Thursday night.

The trader, identified as Vishal, a resident of Basti Gujan and a wholesale dealer at Shastri Market, told police that he was returning home after closing his shop. He had kept around ₹5–6 lakh, collected as daily market payments, in a bag inside his vehicle.

According to Vishal, at around 11 pm, he stopped his Thar near Oxford Hospital after receiving a phone call from home. At the same time, his vehicle lightly collided with a WagonR travelling ahead of him. The collision reportedly damaged the WagonR's light.

Three young men travelling in the WagonR got out of the vehicle and began arguing with Vishal following the accident. After the argument, when Vishal returned to his Thar, he allegedly found that the chain of his cash bag had been opened and the money was missing.

The family immediately informed the police about the incident. Police reached the spot and began examining CCTV footage from cameras installed around Oxford Hospital and the surrounding area to identify the suspects.

Investigators are also looking into whether the road accident and subsequent confrontation were deliberately used as a distraction to steal the cash.

Further investigation is underway.