TRUCK DRIVER FIGHTS OFF 3 ROBBERS ON WEH, NABS ONE

MUMBAI: In a sequence straight out of a Bollywood potboiler, a 23-year-old truck driver took on three robbers and nabbed one of them on Western Express Highway (WEH) on Sunday night.

Tauqeer Khan, who drives a generator truck used for providing electricity to construction sites or film shoots, had gone to Ekvira Vidyalaya i n Malad, where a web series was being shot. The incident happened when Khan was returning from Malad. Khan is a native of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh and stays in Saki Naka.

“When I reached near Swad Hotel in Jogeshwari around 9 pm, three men on a scooter overtook me and blocked my way. Two of them leaned inside the truck, took out the keys and started assaulting me. I had ₹25,000 with me, which I had collected from the shoot location and was supposed to hand over to my employer. The trio snatched the amount out of my pocket,” Khan told HT.

Khan jumped off his seat and started fighting back. “At first, I thought they were angry because I made some mistake while driving, but by then I realised that they were robbers. I grabbed one of them from behind,” Khan added.

Khan locked his arms around one of the robbers and dragged him back towards his truck. The other two escaped on their twowheeler along with the money.

He refused to let go of the robber and they reached the opposite lane, struggling and kicking each other. Some motorists also rushed forward to help. They overpowered the robber and alerted a traffic police constable.

Subsequently, Khan and the robber were taken for a medical check-up at a nearby clinic and then to Andheri police station, where the robber was arrested.

The robber has been identified as Nadeem Sheikh, 24, a resident of Meghwadi.

“We are trying to identify and apprehend the other t wo accused,” said an officer.