Three robbers broke into a tobacco products godown at Kadodara GIDC in Gujarat’s Surat district and looted different tobacco products worth Rs 10.44 lakh. The marauders also held the security guard hostage and tied his hands and legs with ropes, before committing the robbery, police said.
The godown, police said, belongs to Nitin Modi, owner of a tobacco shop in the nearby area.
According to the police, three youths turned up at the godown in two tempo trucks on Friday night. The security guard was caught unawares as he got ambushed by the armed gang. They thrashed him with a stick and later held him hostage. One of the robbers tied the legs and hands of the guard and pushed him into the tempo and took him to a faraway place, while the others in the gang broke open the lock of the godown and stole tobacco items worth Rs 10.44 lakh. They later decamped with looted goods. The security guard was later dropped by robbers at a far away place and escaped.
The guard somehow managed to untie himself with ropes and contacted the godown owner and informed about the incident.
Based on Nitin Modi’s complaint Kadodara police have registered a case under IPC 365, 394, 458, 120(b) and started a probe.
Kadodara police sub inspector P C Sarvaiya said, “We suspect that some known persons may be involved in this theft. The firm owner used to send the pan shop owners to his godown from where he would get the tobacco items delivered. We have also got CCTV footage inside and outside the godown. We are probing the case further to arrest the accused.”