Father-son duo blinded by chili powder to loot gold worth in lakhs; CCTV footage

A shocking incident of robbery took place in Sadaabad, Hathras, on Friday evening, leaving the city on high alert. Armed miscreants ambushed a jeweler and his son while they were returning home, throwing chili powder in their eyes before fleeing with a scooter and gold jewelry worth ₹25 lakh.

As per reports, Manoj Kumar Verma, a resident of Ramsagar on Mursan Road, was returning home with his son, Harsh Verma, after closing their shop in Niranjan Bazaar. As they approached the State Bank of India, three masked criminals lying in wait attacked them.

Gold worth ₹25 lakh looted in bold heist

One of the assailants forcefully pushed Manoj Verma off the scooter, while another hurled chili powder into Harsh Verma’s eyes, rendering him momentarily blind. Taking advantage of the chaos, the criminals seized their scooter and a bag filled with gold ornaments before making a swift escape.

यूपी : हाथरस जिले में बदमाशों ने आंखों में मिर्ची झोंककर सर्राफा व्यापारी मनोज वर्मा से स्कूटी लूट ली। स्कूटी की डिग्गी में 300 ग्राम सोने के जेवरात रखे थे। pic.twitter.com/xDKSpeHT3f

— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) February 15, 2025

CCTV footage from the crime scene captured the entire incident, showing the culprits fleeing in different directions. According to the victim, one robber escaped towards Hathras with the stolen scooter, while the other fled in the direction of Agra.

Police launch investigation, search for CCTV footage

Manoj Verma revealed that approximately 300 grams of gold ornaments were stored in the scooter, valued at around ₹25 lakh. As soon as the police received the information, they launched an investigation, reviewing all CCTV footage from the vicinity. Superintendent of Police (CO) Himanshu Mathur arrived at the crime scene along with his team, stating that while no FIR had been filed yet, capturing the culprits remained their top priority.

Public raises concerns over security lapse

As the video of the robbery surfaced on social media, netizens raised serious concerns regarding security in the city. Many questioned whether the criminals had prior knowledge of the jeweler’s movements, while others criticized the law enforcement agencies for their failure to prevent such a daring heist.

The police have assured the public that the culprits will be apprehended soon. All eyes are now on law enforcement as they work to solve the case and recover the stolen gold.