Masked robber uses chilli powder, fatally stabs 75-yr-old jeweller in Gzb

Ghaziabad: A 75-year-old jeweller was murdered during a robbery attempt in broad daylight in Ghaziabad’s Govindpuri Market on Thursday morning. The crime captured entirely on CCTV.

According to police, the victim, Giridhari Lal Verma, had opened his jewellery shop around 9:15 am and was sitting inside when a masked assailant, entered the shop with the intention of robbery.

The incident was captured by CCTV camera of the shop showing the accused pulling out chilli powder from his pocket and throwing it at the elderly trader. As Giridhari Lal resisted, the attacker jumped over the counter, drew a sharp chopper and stabbed him several times in the neck and chest.

Hearing his father’s cries, Upendra Verma, the jeweller’s son, rushed downstairs and confronted the attacker. A fierce scuffle broke out, during which the accused attempted to pull out a country-made pistol. Despite being injured, Upendra managed to restrain him and drag him outside the shop. Nearby shopkeepers and locals surrounded the accused, thrashed him with sticks, and handed him over to police.

Giridhari Lal was immediately rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. He is survived by his two sons, Upendra and Deependra.

ACP Modinagar Amit Saxena said the police are analysing CCTV footage and interrogating the accused. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested accused Ankit Gupta, who holds a M.Sc degree, had lost nearly 20 lakh in online gaming and had accumulated debts of around 10 lakh. In desperation, he allegedly targeted the jeweller’s shop for robbery and ended up committing murder when the plan failed,” said Saxena. The police have recovered chilli powder, a pair of scissors and a country-made pistol from his possession.

Following the incident, traders in Govindpuri Market and nearby areas shut their shops and staged a sit-in protest, demanding strict action and improved security.