Three arrested for staging accident to swindle merchandise worth lakhs in Doda

Jammu, Aug 9 (PTI) Three, including a man and his son, were arrested for allegedly staging a truck accident to make off with goods worth lakhs of rupees belonging to a trader in Doda district, police said on Wednesday.

Stolen goods worth Rs 11 lakh were recovered at the disclosure of the three accused arrested from different parts of Doda, a police officer said.

He said a load carrier had fallen into the Chenab River along the Doda-Kishtwar highway in Thathri area, and the incident was investigated by police.

During investigation, it came to the fore that Shamim Ahmad, a resident of Bhalla village of Doda, was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident, the officer said.

Ahmad was taken into custody and questioned. He revealed that he along with his father Bashir Ahmad and another man named Ashiq Ali had faked the accident to deceive his employer, a businessman from Jammu, who had dispatched goods for delivery in Kishtwar.

The accused dumped a last part of the consignment, such as food items, cosmetics, garments, hardware, and sanitary items at different places before faking the accident, the officer said said.

Police were earlier too faced with a similar incident in Doda district.

A couple and its six-year-old daughter were found alive in Haryana, 20 days after they were presumed dead in a car accident that took place December last year.

In that incident, a man named Manjeet Singh had allegedly staged the accident to avoid paying his loans.