In a brazen late-night robbery, a wholesale cigarette warehouse in Ballabhgarh was looted of stock valued between Rs 80 and 90 lakh. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, involved four unidentified men who assaulted and held the lone night watchman hostage before making off with a large consignment of high-value cigarettes.
The Sequence of the Robbery
The targeted warehouse, belonging to Shri Shyam Sales on Sihi Road, was attacked between 2:30 am and 4:00 am on Sunday. According to police reports, the four accused overpowered the watchman, Satish, and forced him to open the premises. They then dragged him inside, assaulted him, and broke into two locked internal storage rooms.
After systematically removing between 40 to 50 cartons of expensive cigarette brands, the robbers took measures to silence their victim. They tied Satish's hands and legs and gagged him to prevent him from raising an alarm before fleeing the scene. The crime remained undiscovered until around 7:00 am, when other employees arrived and found the bound watchman.
Police Investigation and Key Details
Police teams, including forensic (FSL) and crime branch units, swiftly reached the spot. Ballabhgarh city police station in-charge Shamsher Singh confirmed that the injured watchman was questioned and corroborated the involvement of four men.
A significant setback for the investigation is that the CCTV cameras at the warehouse were not functional at the time of the crime. "We will trace the suspects using technical and human intelligence," stated Shamsher Singh. The police are also exploring the possibility of an insider's involvement, with multiple suspects being questioned.
Warehouse owner Pawan Kumar informed the police that a large consignment had arrived just a day earlier, on Saturday. As Sunday was a holiday, only Satish was deployed for night security, making the warehouse a vulnerable target.
Aftermath and Ongoing Probe
The stolen cigarettes comprised high-market-value brands, and the warehouse served as a wholesale supplier to numerous shops across the city. The financial loss is substantial, estimated in the range of Rs 80-90 lakh.
The police examination revealed broken locks on the two internal rooms. The investigation is now focused on piecing together the movement of the robbers, tracking the stolen goods, and verifying if anyone with knowledge of the warehouse's operations and the new stock assisted the criminals.
