Caught on CCTV: Debt-hit UP teacher points gun at store owner, begs for cash

A man entered a Common Service Centre in Varanasi, pointed a pistol at the operator and demanded Rs 10,000. CCTV captured the attempt before locals chased him down and police opened a case.

In Short

• Helmeted man entered Javed Ali's CSC and loitered before pulling a pistol
• He demanded Rs 10,000, saying mounting debt had pushed him to desperation
• Ali stayed calm, kept talking, and raised an alarm to stall

The words sounded almost casual, almost pleading. But the pistol in his hand told a different story.

“Cash do do yaar, bahut karza liya hai, Rs 10,000 de do. (Give me cash please, I’ve taken a lot of debt, give me Rs 10,000)”

What unfolded inside a small Common Service Centre (CSC) in Varanasi's Kazi Sarai, was not just an attempted robbery, it was a full CCTV-recorded breakdown of desperation, threat, and a chase that ended with locals overpowering the accused.

The CSC operator, Javed Ali, was at his counter like any other evening when a helmeted man entered the centre.

At first, nothing unusual. The man lingered inside, moving around the premises, as if assessing the situation. The CCTV footage shows him spending time near the counter area, waiting for the right moment.

Then, in a sudden shift, he moved closer to the grill window separating him from the operator.

Without warning, he pulled out a pistol and pointed it directly at Javed Ali.

Instead of a large-scale demand, the accused asked for just Rs 10,000.

But what made the moment even more disturbing was the tone.

There was no aggression-filled shouting alone, there was explanation mixed into threat.

“Bahut karza liya hai Rs 10,000 de do (I’ve taken a lot of debt, Give me Rs 10,000),” he repeated while holding the weapon steady.

For a few seconds, Javed Ali did not react violently. He stayed composed, engaging the man in conversation, attempting to delay the situation without escalating it.

That delay would prove crucial.

As Javed Ali continued talking, he raised an alarm. The sound shifted everything.

Realising the situation was slipping away, the accused turned and fled from the CSC centre.

But the escape did not last long.

Javed Ali did not stay back. He chased the fleeing man out of the centre, shouting for help.

Locals in the area quickly responded. Within moments, several residents joined the pursuit.

The narrow lanes of Kazi Sarai turned into a chase route, and the accused was eventually cornered.

He was overpowered by the crowd, beaten by locals, and restrained before being handed over to the Baragaon police.

The entire sequence, entry, surveillance, gunpoint threat, demand for Rs 10,000, escape, and chase, was captured clearly on CCTV installed at the CSC centre.

The visuals show the accused moving from calm observation to sudden aggression, and then panic during the escape attempt.

Police later identified the man as Gautam Patel, son of Shiv Kumar Patel, a resident of Bharatpur village under Baragaon police station area in Varanasi.

Shockingly, he works as a private school teacher.

During questioning, he reportedly admitted that he was under heavy financial pressure due to mounting debt and monthly instalments. This pressure, he said, led him to plan the robbery attempt.

Authorities also recovered an illegal pistol from his possession.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act at Baragaon police station.

The accused was taken into custody on May 10 at around 1 am after formal procedures.

Further investigation is underway into the source of the weapon and whether the accused had planned similar attempts earlier.

- Ends
With inputs from Roushan Kumar