Chandigarh, August 24: A 60-year-old fruit vendor was robbed of ₹70,000 at gunpoint by two men inside his shop at the Sector-26 Grain Market on Thursday morning. Police have identified one of the accused as Parmatma, alias Batista, a banana seller in the same mandi, while the second accomplice remains on the run.
The victim, Mehboob Khan, alias Chacha, who has been selling papayas in the market for over 25 years, alleged in his complaint that Batista, along with his associate, forced him inside his shop and threatened him with a pistol. Khan’s 37-year-old grandson, Rijwan, was also present when the duo demanded money.
According to the complaint, Batista initially demanded ₹30,000, threatening to shoot Khan if he resisted. When Rijwan entered the shop, Batista threatened him as well, forcing the family to hand over the cash. The demand was later increased to ₹50,000, and finally to ₹70,000, with repeated threats to kill them if they did not comply.
Khan and his grandson, fearing for their lives, handed over the money. The accused then fled, warning the victims of dire consequences if they informed the police. The shaken vendor said they initially remained quiet out of fear but later approached police when patrol teams reached the mandi.
Police confirmed that Batista has a criminal background. A case has been registered under sections 309(4) (robbery), 311 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Sector-26 police station.
