A tertiary student working as a staff at a service station in South Auckland is being widely praised for his bravery after chasing off three armed robbers in the early hours of Sunday, May 14.
The brave man identified as Atinder Singh works at the G.A.S station on the Mascot Avenue in Mangere. The CCTV footage appeared on Facebook earlier this week and immediately went viral. The 55-second dramatic footage showed Mr Singh standing outside the station when the first offender approached from behind with a baseball bat. As the offender charged Atinder, he was able to duck and grab the bat from the offender’s hand.
Atinder then scared the first offender with his bat which was retracted by his two accomplices in a nearby white sedan. The duo sped their white car towards Atinder missing him almost by an inch. Both the offenders pulled out another rod from the car and hurled on Atinder, but somehow he was able to save himself from getting a blow. The offenders failing to enter the petrol station chose to abandon their robbery attempt and drove off from the scene. The white sedan used in the robbery attempt is understood to have been stolen. It was later recovered on Wallace Rd in Mangere Bridge on Monday, May 15, Detective Senior Sergeant Albie Alexander confirmed. The forensic team is investigating the prints in the car and the weapons recovered. Atinder is being praised for his courageous act that foiled a robbery attempt at the petrol station. He is unhurt and has been given a week’s holiday after the incident.
“I did what was needed at that moment, and I am glad that my workplace was saved,” Atinder told Indian Weekender.
The owner of the petrol station Ms Raj Kaur said that it was the first robbery attempt at her store in the last nine years. The last few months have seen a spate of aggravated robberies in the whole of New Zealand, especially central and south Auckland.