JOIN USTwo vigilant off-duty policemen foil robbery bid in Uttam Nagar
Two vigilant off-duty Delhi Police personnel – a head constable and a constable – were instrumental in foiling Wednesday’s robbery bid with a cash replenishment agency van in Uttam Nagar.
Head constable J K Thomas and constable Harbans Hooda were in the area when the incident occurred at 9.30 pm.
Thomas is posted with the local police station, while 29-year-old Harbans works with the security wing of Supreme Court.
Harbans’ statement was also considered to file the FIR over the incident with Uttam Nagar police station.
Harbans, a resident of Mohan Garden in Uttam Nagar, told Deccan Herald that he had returned from duty on Wednesday evening.
“I was at the spot as I had again left home with my wife to withdraw cash from an Axis Bank ATM,” he said.
Harbans claims to have been an eyewitness to the entire incident. “I intervened when the robbers were trying to snatch the cash bags at gunpoint,” Harbans said.
Without caring for his life, Harbans ran towards the robbers and jumped on the assailant holding the country-made pistol.
He was later identified as 30-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Mahavir Nagar.
Gurpreet was disarmed. At the same time, head constable Thomas also intervened. Thomas was not in his uniform. The brazen action on a busy street was over in a few minutes
“Thomas also helped Gurpreet when he was being thrashed by locals,” said another police officer.
A call was made to the police control room on which a team of local police reached at the spot.
“Gurpreet was arrested. His accomplices have been identified and raids are being conducted to nab them,” the officer added.
Police have obtained CCTV footage and video clips made by locals.
“The assailants kept their face covered with helmet and the registration number of the motorcycle has also turned out to be fake,” the officer said.
The CCTV footage hints that they were not professional criminals and the cash replenishment agency’s staff were surprised by the sudden attack.
After preliminary investigation, police suspect involvement of present and former employees of the cash replenishment agency and have sought their assistance to prepare a list of names.
“Looking at the way the robbery bid took place, it appears that it was well planned. The robbers were apparently aware of the route that the van was going to take,” the officer added.