Money exchanger robbed of ₹3 lakh in broad daylight at Sec-27 market
Two masked men wielding a pistol and hatchet strike at the booth shop around 2pm
CHANDIGARH: Two masked men wielding a pistol and a hatchet looted ₹3 lakh from a Western Union franchis in broad daylight at Sector 27, Chandigarh, on Monday.
Sanjiv Kumar Kalia, who runs the currency exchange business besides propery consultancy from a booth in the Sector-27 market, told police that he had returned from a bank in the same sector after withdrawing ₹2.8 lakh in the afternoon.
He had kept the money in the drawer along with ₹20,000 already present there and gone to a public toilet in the market. “Just as I returned, the duo walked into my shop (SK Enterprises) at 2:10pm,” he said.
Kalia, who is a resident of Raipur Khurd, said one man was wearing a cap while his accomplice had a helmet on. Both had covered their faces with cloth.
“One of the accused put a pistol to my head and asked for keys to the drawer. He also threatened to shoot me if I raised the alarm,” said the victim, adding that the robber spoke in Punjabi. “Initially, I thought some friend might be playing a prank on me, but on seeing the other man holding an axe (hatchet) too, I realised something was wrong.”
Without putting up any resistance, Kalia handed over the keys to the robbers, who stashed the money in a laptop bag and walked out of the shop.
Kalia told police that the duo had come on a motorcycle that was parked behind a car outside his shop. The motorcycle was caught by one of the CCTV cameras installed in the area. The accused can be seen fleeing towards Sector 19, in the footage.
Kalia, who is into the business of currency exchange for over a decade, said: “My regular clients know that I do not keep cash in the shop, and most of them get money transferred into their accounts. The cash was withdrawn to hand over to the clients whose transactions are below ₹50,000.”
“A case has been registered under Section 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code besides the Arms Act at the police station in Sector 26,” said deputy superintendent of police Charanjit Singh, adding that investigations are underway.