Gang tried to rob builder office two weeks ago too

NOIDA: Two men had tried to break into the corporate office of Mahagun builders a fortnight before the gang of 12 robbers overpowered guards and took a safe containing Rs 35 lakh early onSunday. The previous robbery attempt was unsuccessful as the guards had spotted them. The duo had then fled in a huff, leaving behind some tools they had brought along to break open locks.
Police said although the company got a fibre glass installed at the main gate, it did not inform them. After the robbery on Sunday, the robbers took away DVRs of CCTV cameras installed on the first floor. The police have been able to retrieve footage from the basement, but the gang was unlikely to have gone there.
The gang of 12 took away a safe containing Rs 35 lakh, along with six gold coins — three weighing 10 grams each and the other three 20 grams each. The safe, believed to be weighing 600kg, was taken away in a Santro (DL13C2716) parked on the office premises. An FIR has been registered at Phase III police station under sections 395 (dacoity) and 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the IPC.
The robbers had apparently scaled the wall of the adjacent plot, which is currently vacant, to get into the Mahagun office. They had first overpowered the armed gunman, Dharampal, and then the other two — Pawan Kumar and Sajan Kumar.
Dharampal, who is in hospital, said the robbers first hit him with the butt of a pistol and then punched him in the face. “I couldn’t see them, as they had grabbed me by the face. It is possible that the other guards would have seen them,” he said.
He said the robbers then entered the main office and went to the first floor, where the safe was kept. On April 13, too, the two assailants had tried to break into the office the same way, Dharampal said.
“Their previous attempt was foiled after Pawan spotted the two men trying to enter the office. We stopped them and they ran away, leaving behind a bag containing tools used to break locks. That was handed over to the security supervisor,” Dharampal said.
A police officer said it was possible that the duo was from the same gang that broke into the company office early on Sunday. On Monday, a police team visited the Mahagun office to inspect the area and retrieve the CCTV footage. “So far, no CCTV footage that cover the accused could be retrieved. Had information about the previous robbery attempt been shared with the police, we could have done something,” a senior police officer said.
The Mahagun management declined comment on the robbery.