New Delhi, October 29 — Four armed men looted Rs 2.30 crore in cash at gunpoint from an office in the Lahori Gate area of Old Delhi on Thursday morning and escaped in a car, in a daylight robbery carried out in full public view, IANS reported. The office, near Church Mission police station and close to Old Delhi Railway Station, was described in reports as purportedly a government establishment, though police have not confirmed that detail.

Source: IANS via IANS Live

According to initial findings, the four men forced their way into the office, threatened employees with dire consequences if they alerted police or resisted, and at gunpoint took Rs 2.30 crore kept in a cupboard. They stuffed the cash into bags and fled in a car parked in front of Old Delhi Railway Station. The gang was caught on CCTV cameras installed inside the office premises.

Source: Nation Press

Delhi Police have launched a manhunt and formed four teams to track down the robbers. Officers are examining CCTV footage from inside the office and along the entire suspected escape route to identify the men and reconstruct their movements, and are collecting inputs from local residents and eyewitnesses.

Investigators are also probing whether the gang had conducted a prior recce of the office and whether an insider tipped them off about the cash kept there — a line of inquiry raised by the apparent precision of the operation, Nation Press reported. Initial findings suggest the gang came prepared, carrying pistols and with contingency plans in place.

The robbery, carried out in broad daylight in one of the Capital's busiest commercial areas during the festive season, has raised questions about the law-and-order situation in Old Delhi. No arrests had been reported and no injuries were reported in the initial accounts at the time of reporting.