GHAZIABAD: Traders at the Pipe Market in Sahibabad kept their shops shut on Wednesday to protest against a robbery that took place in a shop in the market on Tuesday evening.Three bike-borne assailants had entered a pipe fittings shop belonging to Nupur Jain around 7pm. They robbed the shopkeeper of around Rs 70, 000 cash at gunpoint. They also snatched wallets of six other traders in the market at gunpoint.A trader, Ghanshyam Mohta, whose shop is located besides Jain’s shop, told TOI that the shop was robbed in five to seven minutes. “A number of other traders were huddled in the evening just outside the entrance of Nupur Jain’s shop. Three men suddenly arrived on a motorcycle. The one driving the vehicle was wearing a helmet. The two riding pillion had their faces covered with handkerchiefs. The pillion riders got down from the bike and entered the shop. They took Jain at gunpoint and asked him to hand over the cash from his counter.They then fired two rounds inside the shop and threatened the remaining traders to hand over their wallets. They emptied cash from some of the wallets and took away the rest. While escaping from the market, they fired two more rounds in the air to scare the public,” said Mohta.One of the traders, Hitesh Rana, who tried to resist, was punched in the face by a robber. A medical examination was also conducted on him. Ghaziabad MLA Sunil Sharma met the irate traders on Tuesday afternoon. “We have asked police to permanently deploy a PCR van at the Pipe Market. We have also asked for construction of a picket in the market. Police has assured swift action in the case,” said the MLA.

Stay updated with all the Ghaziabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.