Mirage-2000 fighter jet's tyre stolen from truck in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: In a 'heist' straight from a Bollywood thriller, unidentified miscreants stole a spare brand new tyre of Mirage-2000 fighter jet from a moving truck in the city.
The tyre was being ferried on a truck from Bakshi Ka Talab airbase in the state capital to Jodhpur when the incident took place while the truck was caught in a traffic jam on Shaheed Path.
"On November 27, during road transit of IAF logistics consignment, theft of an aircraft tyre was reported in Lucknow by the truck driver, who lodged an FIR.The IAF is providing all necessary assistance to the police in the investigation," read a statement of the Indian Air Force.
As per Hem Singh Rawat, the driver of the truck that was carrying the tyres, the incident took place on November 27 when he was transporting six new tyres of Mirage-2000 fighter jet that he had collected from the Lucknow airbase and was taking them to Jodhpur. He had reached Shaheed Path when his truck was caught in a traffic jam near SR Hotel in Ashiana area.
Talking to TOI, Hem Singh said he was at the wheels when a man passed by informing him that someone was meddling with the truck’s consignment.
Before I could get off, I saw a black Scorpio speed past me. It’s rear door was open and something was sticking out. I walked towards the truck’s carriage and found one of the tyres – which was kept on top of a stack of five other new tyres – missing. The nylon rope with which the tyre was tied, was found cut into two,” Hem added.
“As a result of the traffic jam, all heavy vehicles were lined up one after the other while the smaller vehicles were moving. I immediately called up the police control room and informed them about the incident. A police team reached the site and verified what I had told them,” Hem Singh said. “Thereafter I went to Ashiana police station and handed over a written complaint. Thereafter I left as I had to deliver the consignment as per pre-set schedule,” said Hem Singh, who has been ferrying high value consignments of the defence sector for the past 15 years. "This was the first time that I have reported such an incident," he said. However, the police complaint of Hem Singh only talks of a tyre of Mirage-2000 aircraft being stolen from his truck by unidentified accused near SR Hotel on Shaheed Path.
The truck was also carrying eight different items including Refueller vehicle (1), Bomb trolley (2), universal trolley (1), aircraft main tyres (5), aircraft nose tyres (6), seven step ladder (1), five step ladder (1), co2 trolley (2), were found intact. A case of theft under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been lodged in connection with the incident. According to in charge of Ashiana police station, inspector Dheeraj Shukla, the truck driver did inform the police in writing about the incident but left in a hurry before any of the officers could talk to him about the details of the case. “It was only after he returned that we formally registered a case,” he said.