They catch hold of robbers, snatch pistol, beat them up, hand them over to cops

A jewellery store owner survived an armed robbery attempt in Dombivli late on Thursday night after bystanders overpowered the robbers and handed them over to the police.

Tilak Nagar police said the incident took place at 10 p.m. on Manpada Road in Dombivli (East). The police said the complainant, Ramesh Nahar, owner of Ramesh Gold, had just shut his shop for the day when the robbers struck.

An officer said, “Mr. Nahar was walking towards his motorcycle, parked a short distance away from his store, with the day’s earnings. As he neared his bike, two men drew close to him and threatened to shoot him if he did not hand over the money. Mr. Nahar, however, started running and one of the accused fired at him using a country-made pistol.”

The gunshot attracted the attention of passers-by and local residents, who rushed to Mr. Nahar’s aid. The bystanders caught hold of the robbers, snatched their weapon and beat them up.

A bystander called the Thane police’s control room and the information was relayed to the Tilak Nagar police station. A team was rushed to the spot and the accused were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. They were later placed under arrest.

The accused, identified as Gopal Yadav and Mahendra Sinha, have been charged with attempt to murder and attempted robbery under the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act.

“We are interrogating the accused to verify the finer details of the offence, including its planning and conception. We are also finding out the source of the weapon used in the crime,” said Senior Police Inspector S.B. Sawant.

An officer said inquiries are on to find out if the accused intended to murder Mr. Nahar over some personal issue and made the attack look like a robbery that turned violent.