Highwaymen strike near Delhi-Haryana border

NEW DELHI, February 5: Unidentified youths in two Maruti cars reportedly robbed Rs 15 lakh from three Haryana-based businessmen after a s...

NEW DELHI, February 5: Unidentified youths in two Maruti cars reportedly robbed Rs 15 lakh from three Haryana-based businessmen after a shootout on the GT-Karnal Road near the Delhi-Haryana border this afternoon. The businessmen8217;s driver was injured in the shootout. The police suspect one of the robbers also sustained injuries.

Anil Kumar, Rajinder and Ram Gopal, sons of a prominent rice-mill owner in Karnal, Haryana, were in a Maruti Zen and on their way to Karnal. Their driver, Jagtar Singh, was at the wheel. And the money, which they had collected from rice-dealers in the Chandni Chowk area, was kept in three bags behind the rear seat in the dickey.

Around 3.30 p.m., when they reached the Alipur area in north-west Delhi 8212; hardly 3 km from the Haryana border 8212; a white Maruti car pulled alongside their Zen on the right hand side. Moments later another white Maruti rammed the Zen from behind.

Anil told the police that initially he thought that the Maruti car driver had lost control. But the latter repeated the manoeuvre twice more, forcing the speeding Zen off the road. Even as the Zen crashed into a road divider and came to a halt, the white Maruti cars surrounded the vehicle. Three of the youths in the Marutis got out and asked the businessmen8217;s driver Jagtar Singh to hand over the car keys.

When Jagtar resisted, the youths fired a volley of bullets, hitting him on the chest and left leg. Then they snatched the car keys. Among the businessmen, Ram Gopal 8211; the eldest brother 8212; was carrying a .32 bore revolver. He retaliated by firing seven rounds.

While the three robbers also maintained their gunfire, another got out of one of the white Marutis, took the Zen keys and opened the dickey where the bags containing Rs 15 lakh were kept.

DCP north-west Satyendra Garg says the robbers fled towards the Haryana border immediately. The brothers then got out of the battered Zen and flagged down an autorickshaw. They found a Police Control Room van on the way, and the personnel inside helped them take the injured Jagtar to Jaipur Golden Hospital. Jagtar is stated to be in a serious condition.

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When the police reached the spot they found empty shells of .315 bore rifles and 9mm pistols, besides the shells ejected from Ram Gopal8217;s revolver. Garg says one of the robbers was probably injured in shootout. 8220;We have alerted the Haryana police about the incident, and have requested them to check hospitals on the highway there.

Though the businessmen have said they do not recall spotting the Maruti cars from the time they left Chandni Chowk today, the police suspect that the robbers were aware of the businessmen8217;s schedule. 8220;In fact, it is possible that the robbers were following them from Haryana. We are also investigating whether there was any personal enmity between the businessmen and their customers,8221; said Garg.