Opportunistic armed robbers attacked a Bengal Street, Laudium, resident not long after his car had broken down on the Erasmia Main Road (M26), not far from the Caltex garage, this past Monday (June 25).
Manesh Kallan and his wife, Shriya, had gone to Erasmia to pick up a friend and were on their way to work when Manesh’s car experienced mechanical problems.
"After my car stalled, we thought that if we could at least push the car closer to the front of the garage, the vehicle would be safe, but it was not long before two desperate crooks were pointing their guns right in our faces," Manesh recalled to the Laudium Sun.
While waiting for the tow truck to arrive, the shaken resident and his friend were pounced upon and robbed by two armed robbers, despite several local motorists witnessing the incident, but just driving by.
"We were headed off to work in Centurion when our car broke down near the corner of the Erasmia Main Road and Helena Street intersection," Manesh's wife, Shriya, explained.
"It was only about 8.30am, and Manesh's friend was there with him, so I caught a lift with one of my other colleagues, in order to get to work on time,” she said.
Manesh and his friend (who asked not to be named) eventually decided to push the vehicle to the right side of the road, just outside the Caltex garage, thinking it would be safer there. They then called a towing service approved by Manesh’s insurance company, to collect the car, and settled in to wait for the tow truck.
"I left my cellphone with Manesh," Shriya continued, "because I had reported the breakdown and so those guys were calling on my number all the time."
But, it was not long after arriving at work that Shriya received a chilling call on her work line - "It was my husband, on someone else's cell, telling me he had just been attacked in an armed robbery," Shriya recounted with a shiver.
Manesh added that he had been directing the tow truck driver on the phone, to where his car was when, "from the corner of my eye, I saw the two thugs walking by and the second I hung up the phone, these two criminals came right at us," the victim exclaimed.
“The pair of thugs both drew firearms, each one marking his target, and demanded cash, threatening to shoot if we did not comply.
The one put his gun to my head, while the other one grabbed my friend and put a gun to his head. Then the one guy started yelling, 'shoot him, shoot him', to the creep holding me," Manesh recalled with a shudder.
"So I quickly gave them my wife's phone as well as mine, all the cash I had on me, my car keys and my wallet with all my bank cards," Manesh continued, forlornly. "They also took my friend's wallet and cellphone."
According to Manesh, a pedestrian (whose name he unfortunately did not take down) saw what was happening and came running, screaming at the attackers. This, Manesh said, sent the assailants packing.
"They ran down the M26, and I gave chase for a good distance, but they were too fast," Manesh remarked.
The good Samaritan phoned the police and allowed Manesh to use his cellphone to call Shriya.
"I wish I had taken down that guy's details, so that I could thank him for everything he did for me," a very grateful Manesh said in hindsight.
“Hopefully when he reads the Laudium Sun, he will know how appreciative I am for his assistance. It’s unbelievable, but we are not safe anywhere in this area even in broad daylight.”
Bengal Street, Laudium, victim, Manesh Kallan.
Manesh and his friend were accosted by armed thugs, just outside the Caltex garage in Erasmia.