Coimbatore:
A five-member gang looted Rs 9.5 lakh from a merchant after spraying chilli powder at his face while he was coming out from the Podanur Railway Station.
Police said that Zakir Hussain and his associate Faizlur Rahman came at the station at around 6 am, from the West Coast Express. Mr Hussain was carrying Rs 9.5 lakh in a briefcase.
As they reached the exit, a gang member shouted while two others caught hold of Mr Rahman placing a sickle at his neck. Two others snatched the briefcase from Mr Hussain after spraying chilli powder at his face, police said.
The gang then fled. Mr Hussain, who was injured when he resisted the attempts to snatch the briefcase, has been admitted to hospital.