Surendranagar: An alleged assault on a truck driver near the Soladi Toll Plaza on the Dhrangadhra-Halvad Highway early Wednesday morning sparked a major protest by fellow truckers, bringing traffic to a standstill for nearly six hours.

According to initial reports, unidentified individuals dressed as policemen intercepted a truck carrying cloth and demanded money from the driver. When he refused, they allegedly assaulted him and fled the scene.

Outraged by the incident, other truck drivers blocked the highway by parking their vehicles across both lanes near the toll plaza. As a result, a traffic jam stretching 5 to 7 kilometers formed on both sides of the highway.

Upon receiving the information, Dhrangadhra DySP J.D. Purohit and local police personnel rushed to the site to investigate the matter and began efforts to restore traffic flow. Police are probing the identity of the attackers and whether they were impersonating police officers.

The injured driver stated, “After paying the toll, I was stopped by men in police-like uniforms who tried to extort money from me. When I refused, they attacked me and fled.”

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident. DeshGujarat