Vasai jeweller foils robbery bid

“Suddenly,one of the robbers threatened the attendant at the counter with a sword he had hid behind his back,while the other threatened me with a knife,” said Kharvar. The robbers then locked the attendant in an adjoining room,while Kharvar was held hostage at his counter. The two then started breaking display windows and putting gold ornaments in a gunny bag.

“I could not sit and watch and stood up. I think they panicked and one of them charged me with the sword. I held the sword and pushed him out of the shop. I pinned him down while the other robber fled with jewels. My hands were bleeding but it did not loosen my grip on the robber. I raised an alarm,after which locals rushed to rescue,” Kharvar said.

“There was a car waiting outside,which had two men in it. The robber with the sword managed to get to the car. Meanwhile,a crowd started beating his accomplice,” he said. A Waliv police officer said: “We have arrested the robber,Shabaz Malik. We had to admit him to hospital as he was badly beaten by the crowd. We have got the number of the vehicle used and are looking for his accomplices. He has identitified his immediate aide as Vinod Salunkhe.”