Ghaziabad: Petrol pump owner robbed of Rs12.76 lakh near Hindon airbase

It was around 1.45pm when the victim, Ravinder Pal Singh Chauhan, 52, was driving his i10 car from his pump in Karhera towards the bank near the airbase when two bikers intercepted him, when his car slowed down due to a speed breaker on the Karhera Road.

Two armed persons on a bike allegedly robbed a petrol pump owner of nearly Rs12.76 lakh cash while he was on his way to deposit the money in a bank. The incident took place on Karhera Road near the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad.

The victims said that the men were aged 25-30 years and were not wearing helmets. They assured the police of identifying the victims if they are arrested. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

It was around 1.45pm when the victim, Ravinder Pal Singh Chauhan, 52, was driving his i10 car from his pump in Karhera towards the bank near the airbase when two bikers intercepted him, when his car slowed down due to a speed breaker on the Karhera Road. The road has several speed breakers, starting from the Raj Nagar Extension overbridge to the Hindon airbase.

“As the car slowed down, the pillion rider ran to the window on the driver’s side and broke the window glass with a stone or a brick. When my brother stepped out and was trying to question the man, the other biker also reached the spot and pulled out our cash bag,” said Jitendra Pal Singh Chauhan, the victim’s brother.

“My brother shouted for help and locals tried to intervene. However, one of the bikers pulled out a gun and fired a shot in the air. This scared the public and they did not come near the car. Then, both of them picked up their bike and drove on the wrong side of the same road to flee the spot,” he said.

The victims said that the men were aged 25-30 years and were not wearing helmets. They assured the police of identifying the victims if they are arrested.

Chauhan said that he is suspecting the role of an insider in providing specific information about his brother driving to the bank with cash in his car. The bank is a kilometre away from victim’s petrol pump.

“We have roped in our teams and officers are inquiring about the identities of the two bikers. A case has been lodged and an investigation launched into the incident,” said Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city).

In another incident near Mahagun Mall in Vaishali, three armed persons on a bike attempted to rob a collection agent around 11.30am. The bikers cornered the agent but were thwarted by locals.

“The robbers fired a gunshot and escaped. The man had Rs19,000 cash in his pocket. This was a case of attempted robbery; no cash or valuable was taken,” PK Tripathi, station house officer, Indirapuram, said.