Fake delivery boy tries to rob elderly woman in Chandigarh

The accused, posing as delivery boy, was carrying a carton and told complainant’s mother that he had come to deliver a parcel. After engaging her in a small talk, the accused pulled out a weapon, which appeared to be a desi katta (countrymade pistol). At time of the incident, the elderly woman’s daughter-in-law and grandson were also present in the house

A masked man, posing as a parcel delivery person, attempted to rob a senior citizen at gunpoint at her residence in Sector 35, Chandigarh, on Tuesday.

The accused, posing as delivery person, waiting outside the house in Sector 35 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. (HT File)

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon, when the man, wearing mask and gloves, walked into the house of Ankur Bajaj, a money exchanger.

The accused was carrying a carton and told Bajaj’s mother that he had come to deliver a parcel. After engaging her in a small talk, the accused pulled out a weapon, which appeared to be a desi katta (countrymade pistol). At time of the incident, the elderly woman’s daughter-in-law and grandson were also present in the house.

The elderly woman and her grandson raised the alarm after which the accused panicked and escaped after jumping over the main gate. He left the carton behind. It later came to fore that the carton was filled with bricks and a pillow.

UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal said, “We have got some leads and investigations are on.”

Police investigating the crime scene in Sector 35 in Chandigarh on Tuesday evening. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Entire incident caught on camera

The closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the house captured the entire incident. In the footage, the masked can be seen pulling out a weapon and entering the house, and later fleeing, presumably after the elderly woman raised the alarm. Police suspect that the accused feared there could be more people in the house and thus fled. Police said house has an electronically controlled gate, which got locked, but the accused jumped over it to flee.

Accused had come in autorickshaw

CCTV footage from nearby houses showed that the accused had come in an autorickshaw. He was dropped at a distance from the house after which he covered the distance to the house on foot. He later fled in the same autorickshaw that was parked at a distance. Police are tracing the autorickshaw but the number was not captured on CCTV cameras. Police sources say that a similar autorickshaw was traced to Khajeri but verification is still on.