A major robbery was reported in Jalandhar on Monday evening after a group of armed men allegedly attacked a businessman, rammed his vehicle, and fled with a bag containing more than ₹50 lakh in cash.
The incident took place at around 7:50 pm on the 120-Feet Road near Surya Enclave Extension and according to the information available so far, five robbers travelling in a car targeted 60-year-old iron trader Lalit Mittal while he was returning home from his office on Tanda Road.
Mittal alleged that the accused had been following his vehicle before carrying out the attack, and speaking about the incident, the businessman said he had left his office around 45 minutes later than his usual schedule. Since he lives in Surya Enclave, he chose to take the route through Duggal Bakery in Kishanpura before entering the 120-Feet Road.
During the journey, he reportedly noticed that a white car was following him, and according to Mittal, the streetlights on the stretch where the incident occurred were not functioning, making the road relatively dark.
He said that shortly after entering the road, the car behind him suddenly moved ahead and signaled him to stop and suspecting that something was wrong, he attempted to reverse his vehicle instead of stopping, however, the situation quickly escalated.
Mittal alleged that the suspects deliberately rammed their car into his vehicle. Realising that the people in the other car could be criminals, he tried to steer away and speed up, however, he claimed that the accused managed to corner his vehicle a short distance away.
He further stated that three men got out of the car carrying iron rods and according to his account, the attackers immediately smashed the windows of his car and struck him on the forehead. Before he could react, the suspects allegedly picked up a bag containing cash that had been kept under the passenger seat and escaped from the spot.
Initial reports suggested that there were four to five people inside the vehicle used in the robbery and the exact amount of money taken by the accused remains unclear, while reports have put the figure at around ₹50 lakh, police officials said the businessman had not yet provided the exact amount of cash that was inside the bag.
Police were informed about the incident at around 8 pm and following the robbery, senior police officials reached the crime scene. The officers who visited the spot included DCP Manpreet Singh Dhillon, ACP Amanbir Singh, SHO Jaspal Singh, CIA In-charge Surinder Kumar and Special Cell In-charge Manjinder Singh. Investigators began collecting evidence and examining the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Police teams are also expected to review CCTV footage from nearby areas to trace the movement of the suspects and identify the vehicle used in the crime. Lalit Mittal is a well-known figure in the area and apart from being an iron trader, he is also the owner of CJS School and serves as the General Secretary of the Surya Enclave Residents' Welfare Society.
