4 men who wanted cough syrup shoot owner of pharmacy

Police said they are trying to identify the suspects by scanning the footage of the CCTV cameras in the area.

47-year-old medical store owner was allegedly shot by four unidentified persons in a robbery bid on Sohna Road, Bhondsi, on Tuesday night. Police said the man was rushed to a private hospital, where his condition was said to be stable.

Police said as Shivam’s father tried to fend off the assailants, the man with the gun pulled the trigger but it did not go off. (HT FILE)

Police said four men arrived at the shop on the pretext of purchasing a cough syrup and escaped in a car after stealing Rs. 35,000 from the store.

According to police, the incident took place around 10.30pm when the victim, identified by first name as Manoj, and his son, Shivam, were at their medical shop on Sohna Road opposite the bus stand. “A car stopped near the panchayat office across the road and four men alighted from it. They crossed the road and walked up to the store. One of them asked for a cough syrup. As I went inside the store to get it, one of the men smothered my father’s face and another man pointed a gun at him,” said Shivam in his police complaint.

Police said as Shivam’s father tried to fend off the assailants, the man with the gun pulled the trigger but it did not go off. Dinesh Kumar, assistant commissioner of police, Sohna, said another associate then pulled out a gun and fired a gunshot at close range, which grazed Manoj’s head.

“The victim was rushed to a private hospital on Sohna Road, and then referred to another private hospital in Sector 51, where his condition is said to be stable. The suspects stole Rs. 35,000 from the cash counter and escaped in the car. They are yet to be arrested,” said the ACP.

Police said they are trying to identify the suspects by scanning the footage of the CCTV cameras in the area. A police official privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that the victim and his son were about to close for the day, when they were approached by the assailants.

“At least two of the suspects were carrying guns. Robbery seems to be the motive for the crime. The suspects were trying to take money from across the counter and Manoj was resisting their efforts. In the ensuing confrontation, one of them fired at him. An eyewitness, who runs a sweets shop nearby and ran after hearing the gunshot, said that their faces were not covered,” said the official, adding that the victim’s family denied any personal enmity with anyone.

A case was registered against under sections 307 , 379B , 34 of Indian Penal Code and sections of the Arms Act at Bhondsi police station, said police.

In the past few months, several such incidents have been reported, creating panic among shopkeepers. In May, a garment trader was shot dead by three armed men when he was returning to his house after closing the shop in Sadar Bazar. The robbers had snatched his bag, containing at least ₹6 lakh in cash and escaped. In another recent incident, robbers had snatched a bag containing ₹10 lakh from a trader in Sadar Bazar.