Robbery at gunpoint in Kharar

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 20

Four armed robbers looted Rs 50,000 in cash from a liquor vend near Krishna Enclave at Khanpur village in Kharar on Saturday evening.

According to sources, the incident occurred at around 8.45 pm when the robbers, carrying pistols, came in a white Toyota Fortuner. After parking their car at some distance from the vend, the robbers first went into the adjacent tavern, run by Desraj, and looted him of Rs 1,500 at gunpoint. Afterwards, they went into the liquor vend brandishing the pistols and threatened Sunil and Kuldip, workers at the vend, of dire consequences if they did not give the cash they had. Then, they broke open the cash box and took away Rs 50,000, said the sources.

The sources added that the robbers were about to flee when a cash-collection van, which visits the vend daily, reached there. However, the looters threatened the persons, including a security guard, sitting in the van before speeding away to the Kurali side.

The cash van chased the Fortuner till Sahora village, around eight km away from Kharar, but the robbers took a U-turn to Kharar and managed to escape.

Nobody could note down the registration number of the Fortuner. The vehicle had a temporary number, said the sources.

Inspector Manjit Singh, SHO, Kharar police station, said they have begun investigation. Till the filing of report, a case was yet to be registered.

Interestingly, while the robbers were looting the liquor vend, Inspector Manjit Singh was being honoured during a programme at Kharar.

It may be mentioned that on July 18 this year, a cash van carrying Rs 11 lakh was robbed from Sector 70.