Reward offered on anniversary of pensioner's death in Barnet

A £20, 000 reward is being offered following the death of a pensioner in Barnet.

80 year old Bhagwanji Rughani died after being struck by a white van in a car park of a supermarket a year ago.

Mr Rughani's family said:

“The whole family are devastated with the tragic loss of our loving father and we all miss him dearly everyday.“

Crimestoppers says the money is for information which leads to an arrest and conviction of those responsible

On the anniversary police have released footage showing the van involved. It is believed that two white men were in the van that day and the van was on cloned registration plates. At approximately 16:50hrs on 24 September 2022 the van was seen driving around the Tesco car park in the Coppetts Centre in Colney Hatch.

The van came to a sudden stop and then quickly reversed, colliding with Mr Rughani. It then drove from the scene without stopping. Mr Rughani was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries the following day.

Detective Constable Jonathan Stokes from the Met’s Road and Transport Policing Command leads the investigation – he said:

“It is now one-year since this tragic incident and Mr Rughani’s family and friends remain shattered by his death. A reward of £20,000 is available for anyone who can provide information to Crimestoppers that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

“I would appeal to anyone who knows who was driving that van, or anyone who has information that could progress this investigation to get in contact immediately.”

Alexa Loukas, Crimestoppers London Regional Manager, said:

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Rughani, who are still feeling the pain of losing a loved one in such an awful way. Please remember that with our charity, we promise no police, no courts, no witness statements. All you have to do is tell us what you know.

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