Masked men fire at guard after robbery bid in Sterling Castles

BHOPAL: Masked robbers shot at a security guard when he tried to stop them from committing a theft in a locked house in covered housing society on Thursday. Incident took place at Sterling Castles, which is barely 200 meters from Bagh Sewania police station on Hoshangabad Road.
Amrit Lal, 65, security guard, sustained bullet injury on his chest and remains critical while the robbers managed to escape firing bullets in the air.There were atleast three thieves.
Theft was averted due to alertness of neighbours, who got up on hearing noises and called the security guard when thieves were still trying to break locks of the house of GS Watve, general manager in Laghu Udyog Nigam.
"We got up hearing some noises", Mamta Deshwari, neighbour of Watve told TOI. "Since it was dark, we called the security guard. When he flashed torch, the locks of Watve’s house were already broken. The person who was in the porch jumped out, opened fire and escaped with his other two accomplices."
"My husband tried to chase the robbers accused, but accused opened fire at him injuring him and fled. We also wanted to ensure safety of security guard", said Mamta, wife of VK Deshwari, chief manager in State bank of India. Couple could not see them as it was still dark.
Watve’s house number is H-2. The house number H -1, which is on immediate left side of his house, is locked, while Deshwari family lives in the house situated right to Watve’s. Police have registered a case under section 459 of the IPC (Grievous hurt caused while committing house trespass or house-breaking).
Watve had gone to Indore with his wife Madhuri and daughter on November 23 to attend marriage of his nephew.
"I got a call from my neighbour around 4 am that there has been a robbery attempt in my house after which we rushed back. Armed robbers broke locks of two doors after climbing the main gate, but could not break an interlock due to which they failed to enter the house. They also tried from different door near porch but that time my neighbours woke up", Watve told TOI.
Two more rounds of bullets were fired by the thieves as they ran away and vanished under the cover of darkness , said Vibha Jain, who also live close the Watve’s house.
Residents called ambulance and rushed the security guard to Hamidia Hospital where his condition was critical but stable, Jain said.
This is third incident in our campus in past six months. Police suspected bullet was fired from a country made 12-bore handgun.
Amrit Lal's son Manoj told TOI my father tried to hit robbers to catch them when they opened fire.
Cultural secretary, Sterling Castles society, MK Bhatnagar pointed that some renovation work is taking place in house number H 1, which is locked. Labourers working there are suspects as they were knew that Watve's house was locked, he added.
Sterling Castles is a covered campus with around 160 houses. Residents pay Rs 500 per month for security. The campus has three CCTV cameras, but all three are at entrance gates and not inside. Besides, there are three security guards in the night. There is generally no police patrolling in covered campuses.