Armed robbers loot jewellery worth Rs 60 lakh in Delhi's Chandni Chowk; victims held at gunpoint

New Delhi [India], February 25 (ANI): Three armed assailants looted gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 60 lakh from a shop in the Kinari Bazar area of Chandni Chowk in Delhi on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at around 1:34 PM in Anar Wali Gali, a narrow lane within the busiest market in the national capital. According to the shop owner, Ashok Kumar Chaurasia, who has been in the jewellery trade for over 30 years, the shop was being managed by his son at the time of the robbery.
The robbery was executed with clinical precision. Eyewitness accounts and the victim's statement describe a terrifying sequence of events: Three men entered the shop and immediately struck the salesman on the head with a pistol butt. While one assailant neutralised the salesman, the second used a cloth to gag the owner's son, preventing him from raising an alarm. The third accomplice cleared the display showcases of gold ornaments in just 14 seconds before the trio fled the scene.
The local business community has expressed deep anger over the security lapse. Pradeep Kumar Jain, President of the Gota Zari Association, criticised the Delhi Police, pointing out that the robbery took place despite a High Alert in the city.
"This incident is a massive question mark on the security of Delhiites. This is Asia's largest market, and such a daylight robbery happening while the police are supposedly on high alert for terror threats and recent blasts is unacceptable," Jain told ANI.
Following the distress call, senior police officials reached the spot with forensic teams. Police are currently scanning footage from cameras inside the shop and along the narrow escape routes of Kinari Bazar. A case has been registered, and multiple teams are working to identify the suspects based on the high-speed nature of the crime.
Local traders have demanded increased patrolling in the narrow "galis" of Chandni Chowk to protect the thousands of businesses operating in the high-value district. (ANI)