A 48-year-old Army colonel was allegedly beaten up and robbed of his belongings by three people in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, police said on Thursday.

The victim asked for a lighter from one of the accused following which the latter started abusing him, they said.

Complainant Vinit Mahto, a resident of Chanakyapuri, came to the Malviya Nagar police station on Wednesday and lodged a complaint alleging that he went to Malviya Nagar's Triveni complex in a car along with his friend after attending a seminar on Tuesday, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Chandan Chowdhary said that the complainant reached the Triveni complex around 11.30 pm and asked for a lighter from a person standing there.

On this, the person started abusing and later caught the victim from behind, he added.

The DCP said that the complainant pushed him following which he fell on the ground.

He called two more persons and they beat Mahto mercilessly. They took his mobile phone and other items from his car, he added.

The senior police official said that the complainant became dizzy and later found that his two mobile phones, credit card, voter ID card and Rs 10,000 cash were missing from his car.

The DCP said that a case under sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC was registered at the Malviya Nagar police station.

Chowdhary further said that two persons identified as Mithun alias Deepak (22), a resident of Chirag Dilli, and Mukul (28), a resident of Jagdamba Camp in Sheikh Sarai, were nabbed during the investigation, adding two mobile phones have been recovered from their possession.

The third accused is absconding and efforts are being made to arrest him, police said.

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