Courier man looted of 6.6L diamonds, cash

Diamonds and cash worth Rs 6.68 lakh were looted from a courier deliveryman in Rampura area on Wednesday morning. The victim Pravin Patel was hit on the head with an iron rod, leaving him unconscious and needed surgery later in the day.

Patel has been an employee of Jayanti Soma Patel for the last eight years and regularly visited Katargam area to deliver diamonds on his bicycle. He was following his routine when he was attacked by two men on a bike near Himson Mill at around 8.30 am. The men escaped with Patel's bag containing packets of diamonds and Rs 27,900 cash.

When his colleagues and police reached the spot where he was attacked, Patel was lying unconscious and was shifted to a hospital. Doctors said he had suffered a hemorrhage due to the hit. His condition was critical even after the surgery.

"We have instructed courier firms to ask their men to go through specific routes where police officials are constantly on alert and the roads are crowded. Patel was attacked on an isolated stretch. In fact, our officers had even told him earlier to take the more crowded stretches, but he chose a shortcut on Wednesday," said police inspector MJ Pathan.

Police officials increased surveillance in different parts of the city after the attack, but got no clues till late evening on Wednesday.