Around half a dozen armed masked men took away Rs 12 lakh from a shop after holding hostage its occupants and stabbing one of them in busy Khadi Baoli in Lahori Gate area of North Delhi this afternoon, police said.
The robbers struck at the two-storeyed shop of one Suresh Chandra Mittal who deals in dry fruits and spices at around 3.45 pm.
"Mittal was present on the ground floor of his shop number 87 situated in Naujiya Market along with some of his employees. The robbers entered the shop and first held Mittal and the workers hostage at knife point and gagged them.
"They then ransacked the shop in search of cash and other valuables. One of the employees, identified as Om Prakash, who was on the first floor, rushed to down on hearing the commotion. As he tried to resist the robbery bid, one of the assailants stabbed him in his hand," said a police official.
The robbers then stuffed all the cash in a suitcase brought with them and fled from the spot leaving the victims tied with ropes and gagged by tapes. They managed to free themselves on their own and then raised an alarm, police said.
Om Prakash, who was injured in the incident, was taken to a nearby government hospital from where he was discharged after treatment.
"Rs 12 lakh has been stolen in the robbery. We have registered a case and investigations are on," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sindhu Pillai.
