Petrol pump staff thwart armed carjacking in Dera Bassi

Employees said that the suspects had covered their faces and smeared mud on the scooter’s license plate to hide its identity

An attempted armed carjacking was reported at a petrol pump in Dera Bassi on Tuesday, however, the suspects fled after employees intervened.

According to police and staff, three youths arrived at the station on a scooter and began refueling. (HT File)

According to police and staff, three youths arrived at the station on a scooter and began refueling. At the same time, a car driver had pulled into the pump to get fuel. As the driver was about to re-enter his vehicle after refueling, two of the youths approached him, brandished a pistol, and attempted to snatch his car keys.

The driver raised an alarm, prompting approximately five petrol pump employees to rush to the scene. Seeing the staff approaching, the suspects panicked and fled on their scooter toward Dera Bassi without carrying out the robbery.

Employees said that the suspects had covered their faces and smeared mud on the scooter’s license plate to hide its identity. They also observed that while the car driver filled his tank, the suspects purchased only ₹100 worth of petrol.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV. Management informed the police, who have seized the footage for investigation. While the police are currently analysing the video, they said that the car driver has not yet approached them or filed a formal written complaint.