Masked men loot ₹1 lakh from bookshop owner at gunpoint in Ludhiana

Ludhiana police officials said the accused, whose faces were covered by masks, locked the shopkeeper inside and fled

The local police on Friday registered a case after two bike-borne accused robbers, posing as customers, allegedly looted ₹1 lakh from a bookshop owner at gunpoint near Tibba Gate in Sahnewal, officials said.

Robbers caught on CCTV cameras while looting a bookstore in Sahnewal, Ludhiana, on Friday. (HT Photo)

They said the accused, whose faces were covered by masks, locked the shopkeeper inside and fled. The victim, Satendra Kumar, owner of Satendra Book Depot, was later rescued by neaby shopkeepers. The victim is a resident of Lotus Enclave, Dehlon Road.

Police said the incident was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in and around the shop located opposite Gurdwara Somasar Sahib, Tibba Gate.

Police said shop owner Satendra was at the bookstore when the robbers entered while posing as customers. He alleged they pulled out a pistol and demanded money, adding that the accused snatched a bag containing ₹1 lakh and important documents.

He said the accused pulled down the shop’s shutter, locked it from outside and sped away.

Satendra said he raised an alarm and knocked the shutter from inside, following which nearby shopkeepers and locals rescued him.

Police said they have procured the CCTV footage and are scanning it to identify the accused.

Sub-inspector Harmeet Singh, who is investigating the case, stated the first-information report (FIR) was registered under section 304 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.