JAIPUR: In a daring heist in the state, three unidentified
youths barged into a toll booth and looted cash worth over Rs 40,000 at gunpoint in Singhana area of
Jhunjhunu district in the wee hours of Sunday.
The CCTV footage retrieved after the incident showed three men hurriedly walking into the toll booth with their faces covered. “The incident happened at 12 am. One of the gang members quickly took out a country made pistol, which he had hidden inside his shirt. He pointed the gun at the cash collector and demanded money,” said Singhana SHO Sajjan Singh.
The toll operators told cops that there were three toll workers at the time of the incident. “The criminals walked from Chirawa direction. One of them was holding an iron rod. He huddled all toll staffers into the booth and asked them to hand over the day’s collection,” an official said, adding that the toll operator handed over the money to one criminal while the other two guarded the toll gate.
While the CCTV footage shwed three men, the cops suspect that the total number of criminals could be four to five. “The initial investigation, which was based on CCTV footage and statements of toll operators, hints that the criminals hailed from
Haryana,” an official told TOI, adding that the district police have set up barricades and check points to inspect vehicles crossing into Haryana.
“The criminals had carried out a recce of the toll booth before they arrived here. We have asked our informers to share information about gangs operating in the area,” the official said.
The police also said that the criminals vandalized the booth and broke an LED and CCTV.
Though the police are hoping to arrest the suspects soon, the heist has exposed the efficiency of patrolling in the area. Senior officials of the police arrived at the spot and carried out an inspection. A team has been set up to track the accused.
