An Indian family who was recently targeted in an armed robbery in Brisbane have spoken to SBS Hindi about their ordeal.
Eight-year-old schoolgirl Sona Sahota was having dinner at her parents’ Indian restaurant in Zillmere on Saturday night when a robber armed with a gun walked in and demanded cash.
The robber aimed the gun at the girl’s shoulder and demanded the mother hand over the money from the till.
“I became speechless. I didn’t know what to do. He pushed my daughter aside and jumped across and started to take the money out of the till,” says Kamal Sahota, Sona’s mother.
The girl’s father Sukhninder Sahota was working outside at the time and armed himself with a pair of pliers when he heard his family’s screams for help.
“He asked us to lie down on the ground and ran away with the cash,” Kamal says.
Mr Sahota gave a chase and went after the robber before he got away.
While the man made off with a few hundred dollars’ in cash, he was later nabbed by Queensland Police.
“I was frightened and scared,” Sona says.
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The family fears they might be targeted again.
“Sona keeps asking if the robber will come back,” her mother tells SBS Hindi.
The father has urged the authorities to take steps to enhance security in the area.
“This is not the first time someone has been robbed in our area. We have raised the issue with all the authorities. It keeps happening. They must do something for our safety,” Mr Sukhninder says.
“Not for me. Not for my family but for the public,” he adds.
