Businessmen foil robbery, felicitated

MUMBAI: When three Girgaum businessmen were threatened and robbed last Saturday, they managed to foil the robbery by raising an alarm.
Appreciating their help in nabbing the gang of robbers, the police felicitated the trio at a small ceremony held recently.
The three metal dealers, Mahendrakumar Mehta, Bhuparam Devashi and Vikram Mehta, were talking in Mahendrakumar''s office at Kumbharwada in Girgaum when a gang of three barged in and threatened them with choppers.The businessmen protested but the gang threatened to kill them and ransacked the office before fleeing with valuables worth Rs 2 lakh. The robbers even tied them up to chairs and tables in the office.
But Mahendrakumar, who had been bound to a chair, decided to stop the robbers from getting away. He dragged himself to a window facing the road and shouted, "Thief, catch him".
Hearing the shouts, a group of pedestrians rushed towards the office building and started chasing the robbers. A team of patrolling policemen were alerted by the noise and joined in the chase. Soon, Vikram and Bhuparam were also able to free themselves and rushed downstairs. The robbers, Vikas Nayaka, Ajay Chavan and Raju Gowda, were overpowered and handed over to the cops and the entire loot was recovered from them.
"The three did a fantastic job of helping the police arrest the criminals. We need more such alert citizens to work with the cops in helping curb crime," a senior police officer said.
Police commissioner A N Roy personally handed over a certificate of merit to the businessmen.