Four armed assailants on two bikes looted Rs90 lakh at gunpoint from a cash collection van in the Damodar Park area of East Delhi on Monday afternoon. The van was parked near a wine shop in Damodar Park when the four men took the van’s guard, Sukhbir, hostage. One of the custodians of the cash, Mahesh Chand, and the vehicle’s driver Ranjeet were held at gunpoint.
Investigators are scanning CCTV footage installed outside factories and wine shops in Damodar Park area. They are questioning employees at the wine shop since there is a possibility of information having been shared with the accused.
A senior police officer said that the assailants were wearing helmets. “The incident occurred around 2.15 pm when after collecting money from 22 different units, including petrol pumps and Reliance Fresh marts, the cash collection van reached a wine shop in Damodar Park to collect more to deposit in a bank. Four men appeared out of nowhere and threatened their hostages with dire consequences if they ratted out to the police. They snatched the gun and keys to the van from the three,” a police officer said, adding that the accused fled from the spot after brandishing their guns.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the cash van, attached to CMS cash collection company, left East Delhi’s Patparganj office around 10.30 am on Monday and arrived at Damodar Park after collecting cash from 22 different units.
The victims later made a distress call to their employer and informed police. “A case has been registered at Dilshad Garden Police Station of North East Delhi,” an officer said.