Mercedes car, Rs 12 lakh cash stolen from showroom

New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS) Four thieves struck at a city-based used cars showroom in the small hours of Tuesday and took away a Mercedes Benz sedan valued at Rs 12 lakh, a cash box containing Rs 10 lakh and a licensed pistol, police said.

The police said the incident took place at around 2.30 a.m. The thieves came in a Baleno car and broke into "National Motors", which sells and purchases used cars, in Moti Nagar area of Delhi.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said: "The criminals parked their car outside the showroom and broke its shutter. Two of them managed to enter it while two others waited for them in their car. They took out a heavy safe containing Rs 10 lakh cash and a licensed pistol."

"Two of them kept the safe in their car and escaped, while the remaining two drove away in a Mercedes car standing outside the showroom, along with three other cars," Kumar said.

"The entire incident was captured in the CCTV and the police are scanning the footage to identify the thieves," the officer said.

The showroom owner, Lokesh Munjal, a resident of Paschim Vihar in west Delhi, who was in Rajasthan at the time of theft, said the theft took place even though he had deputed a security guard at the showroom.

The security guard, however, told the police that he had gone to washroom when the crime took place.

"The role of security guard is suspicious as he is changing his statements frequently. He may have a role in the crime," the officer added.