‘Robbers’ kill trader, his wife, son injured

THE ROBBERS SHOT THE BUSINESSMAN WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO ENTER HIS HOUSE. THEY FLED WITH ₹25,000

Three assailants on motorcycle shot a businessman and left his wife and 18-year-old son injured right outside their home in east Delhi’s Mansarovar Park on Monday night.

The suspected robbers made away with a bag containing ₹25,000 cash that they had been eyeing while following the father-son duo who run a soft drinks business in New Ashok Nagar. The police, however, are also probing other motives behind the crime.

The incident comes a little over a fortnight after another group of robbers had gunned down a man in a bid to rob ₹3 lakh cash he was carrying home in Sarai Rohilla on April 27.

In the latest crime, 42-year-old Mukesh Singhal and his son, Saurabh, had downed their shop’s shutters and were riding a scooter back home when the three bikers began trailing them.

“The motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet. One of the pillion riders had covered his face with a cloth. The third suspect was wearing a cap,” said Nupur Prasad, DCP (Shahdara).

The suspected robbers struck just as the father and son neared their home in a narrow street around 10.30pm on Monday.

“Mukesh and Saurabh were just about to enter their home when the robbers tried to snatch a bag that the boy was holding in his hand. But since Saurabh was holding onto the bag tightly, the robbers were unable to snatch it easily,” the officer said.

To save the cash, Saurabh raised an alarm and tried to throw the bag inside his house. This drew his mother, Sunita, out of the house. The robbers then allegedly began shooting. Mukesh was hit in the chest and he died on the spot. Sunita too received a bullet and is critical. Her son was lucky to escape with a ‘superficial injury’ as a bullet only brushed past him.

Meanwhile, local businessmen protested in Mansarovar Park on Tuesday, saying they were afraid to transact in cash because of the frequency of such robberies.