A car-borne gang chased down a petrol bunk cashier on the busy Mettupalayam Road near Karamadai on Friday and tried to snatch a bag containing Rs 1.27 lakh cash. But the cashier put up a brave resistance even after he fell off his bike and the gang had to beat a retreat as people began gathering at the scene.
The 55-year-old Palanisamy, working as a cashier in a petrol bunk near Mathampalayam, was going to a bank at Karamadai on a motorbike to deposit the collection amount when the robbers struck around 12.45 pm near the Thaneerpandal bus stop. The cashier had hardly travelled a kilometre when the robbers overtook him in a car and stopped him in the middle of the road.
“Within seconds, the criminals got out of the car, sprayed chilly power on the cashier’s face and tried to snatch the cash bag from him,” said sub-inspector Franklin. “But, Palanisamy held on to the bag for dear life even after he was pushed down from the bike. He started running to escape from the gang.”
Police said one of the gangsters pulled out a gun and shot Palanisamy on his thigh. In the meantime, several commuters on the busy road had stopped their vehicles on seeing the unusual ‘action’ sequence.