Ludhiana: An illegal extortion racket has been uncovered at Punjab’s most expensive toll plaza on the Ludhiana–Jalandhar highway, where heavy vehicles were allegedly being stopped and unlawfully charged money before reaching the toll point.
According to police, unidentified miscreants were intercepting trucks and other heavy vehicles near the Ladoval toll plaza, close to Talwandi village on the GT Road. The accused allegedly collected money from drivers in advance and then forced toll plaza staff to allow the vehicles to pass without issuing official toll receipts, causing significant loss to government revenue.
The matter came to light after a complaint was received by Punjab Police at Ladowal police station. Following a preliminary inquiry by ASI Mohammad Sadiq, police confirmed that the extortion was being carried out by a group of unidentified individuals operating ahead of the toll lines.
Police said the accused also intimidated and threatened toll plaza employees to bypass vehicles through toll lanes without payment. Based on the findings, an FIR has been registered against 15 to 20 unidentified persons under Sections 308(2), 351(2), 190 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The toll plaza lies on the busy Ludhiana–Jalandhar corridor and is used daily by a large number of commercial vehicles, making it a lucrative target for illegal activity.
Police officials said investigations are underway to identify the accused and dismantle the extortion network. “Strict action will be taken once the culprits are identified,” an officer said, adding that security and monitoring around the toll plaza have been tightened to prevent further illegal collection.
