NRI in New Zealand fights thieves

Wellington: An Indian-origin man courageously fought and chased down two robbers trying to steal his cash register in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, the media reported on Tuesday.

Kamlesh Patel, a dairy owner, said two men entered his Opawa Universal Dairy and tried to flee with the cash register at about 7.40 p.m.

He chased down the men and caught one and held him captive until the police arrived, reported www.stuff.co.nz/. The second man involved in the attempted robbery managed to escape after his partner was caught.

"They ran away with the cash register. I started chasing him. He dropped the cash register and I caught him," Patel was quoted as saying. "[The cash register] was too heavy for them. It's too heavy for me," he added.

Patel was at the dairy with several friends and family members. The group held on to the offender until the police arrived a short time later. Five years ago, a man demanding cash and tobacco robbed Patel at gunpoint. Patel tried and stopped the offender that time too, and received minor head injuries as he tried to wrestle the rifle from the offender.

Patel said he did not believe the men involved in the attempted robbery were armed. Patel said that no one was hurt during the incident. "Shoplifters keep coming, but this is different," he was quoted as saying.