Guards foil car theft, kill one in shootout

New Delhi, June 5: In a scene straight out of a movie, two private guards - one of them an ex-armyman - on duty outside a jewellery showroom engaged in a gunbattle with five men who were trying to steal an SUV used to transport gold ornaments and diamonds from the showroom. One of the five men was killed during the battle.

According to the police, the two guards - Kishan and Lalit Kumar - initially tried shooting at the car's tyres to stop the accused from fleeing with the SUV. "Kishan, an ex-soldier, used his .12 bore rifle to try and hit the tyres but his shots hit the car. Lalit then fired at the temple of the robber driving the stolen car even as it moved 20 metres. The yet to be identified robber died on the spot. The others, who had arrived in another Bolero, fled. We are yet to identify the deceased and even the gang,'' said Tejinder Luthra, joint CP (northern range).

'I ignored the gunfire and just did my duty'

The action began around 3.45am on Monday and ended within just seven minutes.

Sources claimed at least five men - believed to be from the Mewat region - arrived in front of Hira Jewellers, located close to the Pitampura Metro station, in an off-white coloured Bolero.

As one of them began trying to break the lock of the white Bolero, registered in the name of one Miss Rajni on behalf of the company, the two guards intervened. "When the duo protested, the accused walked up to them menacingly and asked them to stay off or be prepared to be shot at. When they did not move, one of the five used a country made revolver and shot at the two men. The bullets missed,'' said additional DCP (northwest) Romil Baniya.

In the meantime, one of the five was successful in breaking the lock of the Bolero and was also able to start the ignition using a master key. As he started moving, both the guards fired on the vehicle tyres in order to stop it.

"I was not worried that they were firing. I just wanted to do my duty,'' said Lalit before being whisked away by the cops to the Maurya Enclave police station.

While Kishan stays at Bhalaswa Dairy, Lalit too is a resident of northwest Dehi. Cops said the body has been preserved in the mortuary for the next 72 hours. "We have conclusive leads on the gang and we hope to at least identify the accused soon. The Bolero which was robbed hit the pavement and one of its tyres got damaged due to skidding.

Meanwhile, an ERV which was on patrol reached the spot and informed the PCR. Local police also reached the spot and found the dead body,'' said the officer. A FIR (No. 144/12) under IPC sections 392, 397, 307, 411, 34 has been registered at the Maurya Enclave police station.