Petrol pump owner shot at, robbed

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 30

In a broad daylight robbery, a petrol pump owner was shot at and robbed of Rs 9.80 lakh by four youths in front of a crowded post office at Sector 8 here this morning. The robbers were in their mid-thirties. 

The victim, Raj Kumar (65), a resident of Sector 17, Panchkula, who owns a petrol pump in Sector 20, suffered gunshot injuries on his right hand. He was admitted to General Hospital in Sector 6.

The incident took place at 9.45 am when Raj Kumar was on his way to deposit the weekend’s collection at a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in Sector 8 here. He had left home on his White swift car and was carrying the cash bag with him. He had parked his car in front of the post office in Sector 8.

“When I got out of my car in Sector 8, two of the four youths sitting in a white Swift car came out and tried to snatch my bag. Their car was already parked in front of mine,” said the victim.

When Raj Kumar resisted, one of them fired a gunshot towards the ground. “Even after that I resisted, I didn’t give them the bag. The youth then shot at my right hand in which I was holding the bag. The bullet pierced through my palm,” said the victim.

The youths fired two rounds. The police said that on the recovered bullet 7.65mm was engraved, so the bullet belonged to a 0.32 bore pistol. After the incident, Raj Kumar tried to chase the robbers’ car but nobody came forward to help him. Even when the victim cried for help, nobody came forward. With great difficulty, he took out his cellphone and called the police. A youth, who had come to the market, rushed the victim to the hospital in his car. The Panchkula police got a call at 9.55 am following which the Commissioner of Police (CP) OP Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hamid Akhtar also reached the spot.

One year ago, the victim had bought the petrol pump. He used to deposit cash in the bank on alternate days but this time he was doing so after a week.

He never sent his employees to deposit cash in the bank. Either he or his son-in-law would go,” said a family member.

Sumit, son-in-law of the victim said that they had sacked an employee recently but it was a routine issue and they didn’t suspect the role of an insider.

Meanwhile, the Panchkula police have not ruled out an insider’s hand in the incident. A police official said since the robbers’ car was already parked in the parking area of the market and they targeted Raj Kumar on Monday, when he usually went to deposit the money, suggested that the robbers had done proper recee of his movement. 

CCTV gives no clue

CCTV footage of the cameras installed in nine bungalows near the spot, three banks in the market and six showrooms were checked but the police didn’t get any clue. Police sources said robbers were already aware about the CCTV cameras so they parked their car in such a way, the cameras were unable to capture the movement of the car. 

Past incidents 

Jan, 2015: Four men in White Swift looted Rs 7.5 lakh from a cashier and two other employees of Amartex at Sector 14 when the trio was on their way to deposit the same in the bank.

March,  2014: Robbers fired at employees of Toyota showroom and fled with Rs 1.28 lakh when the employees were on their way to deposit cash.

October 2013: Five robbers in a white Etios looted Rs 16 lakh from two employees of a petrol pump in Amravati Enclave, when they were on their way to deposit cash.

September, 2013: A woman, petrol pump owner, carrying 4.5 lakh was shot at by two robbers outside a bank in broad daylight in Sector 25 Panchkula.

January, 2013: Ritanesh Tripath, an employee of a cash collection company, was shot at and robbed of Rs 17.58 lakh by four robbers in a white Etios.2.40 from a petrol pump in Sector 5 after locking its owner and two employees in the bathroom and storeroom.

Car used in the crime snatched from Rajpura

A passerby noted the registration number of the car. He said he could note down only a part of the number —

HR ….9865. When the police checked the details of the vehicle, it was found that the details were that of a White Santro. The police suspected that the Swift car involved in the crime might have been snatched from Rajpura.

Police force deployed at court

A PCR was on patrolling duty in Sector 9 when the incident took place. A heavy police force was deployed outside the court for security reasons expecting a decision in the case pertaining to Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.