A Daring Robbery

The pilgrims never dreamt that it would happen. They were hopefully thinking of reaching the place of worship before the day dawned. As the place of worship was about 75 kilometers from their homes they had left at 2.00 a.m. in the night. They were about a dozen of them including men and women. Since they were going in their own van they had many trunks and suitcases stuffed with valuables like costly clothing, jewels, and ornaments. They belonged to the neo-rich and were a hit showy.

The road lay through a barren country covered here and there with hillocks. It was a road that did not have any heavy traffic and that too in the early hours it was practically deserted. The area was notorious for daring robberies as the hillocks gave the robbers a good cover. The robbers heard the van on the road and they expected a good booty from it. The moon was not bright as the clouds were sweeping over its face and were ideal for the gang to operate. The gang was made up of unemployed educated young men who had grown desperate. It was masterminded by an old hand who had been convicted several times.

The gang had placed big boulders as roadblocks and were hiding nearby. As soon as the van came near, the driver saw the block. He could not negotiate the road this way or that as it was completely blocked and so came to a screeching halt. When the male occupants of the van got down to see what had happened. the gang pounced upon them. They were told to keep their mouths shut. When the driver wanted to strike, he was given a stunning blow by one of the robbers. The male occupants were then marched to the foot of a hillock and were commanded to stand still or face severe consequences to their person. While two or three of the robbers stood guard, others ransacked the van, took out the trunks and suitcases, broke them open and poured out the contents onto blankets, and tied them up. The women were so stunned that they could not even cry out. Their throats felt parched suddenly because of the shock they were in. With a flourish, the robbers left the place with their booty and disappeared into the night.

It was some time before the pilgrims recovered from the shock. The womenfolk began to wail. As it happened in such cases each one started complaining that the others were to blame. The van driver lost no time in driving them to the nearest town where they lodged a complaint with the police.

This was not the first time the police were getting reports about robberies in that part of the country. The higher authorities swung into action immediately when they got a clue from a tea shop in a neighboring village. The net was spread and soon a few of the gang were apprehended. Since they were habitual offenders, it was easy to bring them to book. The press and the public appreciated the prompt action taken by the police.