A 45-year-old woman vendor chased down three youths with the help of neighbours after they allegedly stole two gas cylinders from her food cart in Sohana on Friday evening. Police said the complainant, Nirmala Devi, who runs a chhole-kulche cart near Baidwan Atta Chakki in Sohana, noticed around 6 pm that a Bharat Gas cylinder and a small (5 kg) cylinder attached to her cart were missing.
According to the FIR registered at the Sohana police station, she spotted a few youths carrying the cylinders towards the local market area. She immediately raised the alarm, following which her neighbour Amit Singh Tomar and a few other local residents joined the chase.
The residents managed to apprehend three men and recovered both cylinders before taking them to the Sohana police station.
The accused have been identified as Ashu, hailing from Bihar and currently residing near Hanuman Mandir in Sohana; Akshay, a native of Meerut living in Kumbra village; and Vishal, originally from Moradabad and residing in Kumbra as a tenant.
A case under Sections 303(2) (theft), 317(2) (stolen property) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against them. Assistant sub-inspector Jeet Chand, investigating officer, said the cylinders were recovered and further investigation was underway.
