Man flees with merchandise without paying; booked

An unidentified man was booked for allegedly fleeing with apparel from a shop in DLF Phase-1 market on Friday evening.

The police said the suspect purchased apparel worth ₹15,000 from Arjun Marg, DLF Phase -1 and presented his debit card, which was declined.

Karan Goel, assistant commissioner of police (DLF), said that the suspect tried three times and later requested the shop owner to send his sales boy with him till the parking area. “The suspect said he had forgotten his wallet in the car and would hand over cash once he reaches the car. After he reached his car, he sat on the driving seat and started looking for something in dashboard. Within seconds, he accelerated the engine and fled the spot,” he said.

The police said the sales boy thought he was reversing the car and must be parking on the roadside. So he waited for a few minutes but the suspect did not return.

Sanjay Bakshi, shop owner, said that this was the fourth such incident reported in the last one month in the area. “The man spent more than half an hour in the shop, picked up a pair of jeans, T-shirts, and shirts and asked us to pack them. He took out his card and tried to swap his card thrice but, due to an incorrect PIN code, the transaction failed. He then asked to send the helper to his car, where he said he would pay in cash, but fled instead,” he said.

The shopkeeper has given CCTV footage to police but he is yet to be identified.

Goel said they are trying to identify the suspect based on CCTV footage. “We are also scanning other footage from other markets from where similar incidents have been reported. We have registered a case and are conducting the investigation,” he said.