Ludhiana: A local court has sentenced two men to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for a brutal 2023 ambush on a Zomato delivery rider, whom they blinded with high-intensity LED lights before attacking him with swords.Additional sessions judge Gurpreet Kaur handed down the sentences to Akash and Ajay Kumar, both residents of Dr Ambedkar Nagar. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each convict, noting that the severity of the assault with deadly weapons warranted a strong deterrent.The ‘Blinding’ AmbushThe incident occurred in the early hours of Aug 21, 2023. The victim, Ekjot Singh, was transporting a food order toward Haibowal on his motorcycle when he was intercepted near the Model Town Extension cremation ground. The attackers used a tactical manoeuvre to stop Ekjot Singh.Two men on an oncoming motorcycle used “piercingly bright” LED headlights to blind Ekjot Singh, forcing him to halt. As he stopped, three to four additional accomplices emerged from the shadows, striking him with a sword and iron rods. The group robbed Ekjot Singh of Rs 3,000 and his mobile phone, leaving him with deep head wounds that required five stitches.Arrest and RecoveryThe breakthrough in the case came in Oct 2023, when police patrolling Dr Ambedkar Nagar stumbled upon a group of men fighting over the distribution of stolen goods. While several suspects fled, police apprehended Akash and recovered a sword and a cleaver). During interrogation, Akash confessed to the August ambush, leading to the nomination of Ajay Kumar and several others, including a juvenile, as accused. The stolen mobile phone had reportedly been sold to a migrant worker for Rs 2,000.‘A Life-Threatening Blow’The victim, Ekjot Singh, has since left the delivery industry to work in construction. Speaking on the verdict, he recalled the narrow escape from permanent disability or death. “The doctors told me that if the blade had gone even slightly deeper into my skull, it would have been life-threatening,” Ekjot Singh said.He has also alleged that seeking justice was an uphill battle, claiming a police official was initially reluctant to register the first-information report (FIR) until he persisted with the help of friends.Court RulingThe court dismissed the defendants’ claims of false implication, citing the recovery of the weapons and the detailed testimony of the prosecution. Akash and Ajay Kumar were convicted under Section 379-B (2) (snatching with hurt/wrongful restraint) and Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
