ARA: In a gripping turn of events, Bhojpur police swung into action within hours of a brazen Rs 24-crore jewellery heist at a prominent showroom in Gopali Chowk, the commercial hub of Ara town, on Monday.
A high-speed chase, a dramatic gunfight and a fierce pursuit culminated in the arrest of two robbers and the recovery of two out of three bags of looted jewellery worth around Rs 15 crore.
Also read: Jewellery worth Rs 25 crore robbed from showroom
The audacious robbery took place around 10.30am in one of the busiest localities of the town, sending shockwaves through the business community. The police wasted no time, launching a district-wide vehicle-checking operation. Their vigilance paid off when they intercepted three suspicious motorcycles on the Ara-Babura road under Barhara police station. The suspects, sensing the noose tightening, attempted to make a desperate escape towards Doriganj.
As the chase intensified, two criminals abandoned their bike and bolted into the sprawling Babura-Bindgaon agricultural fields, hoping to lose their pursuers. But the police were in hot pursuit.
“When the police chased them, they opened fire,” said ASP Parichay Kumar. “In self-defence, the police retaliated, injuring two criminals in their legs,” he added.
The dramatic encounter ended with the arrest of Vishal Gupta, a resident of Dighwara village in Saran district and Kunal Kumar of Sonepur in Vaishali district. Both are currently undergoing treatment in police custody.
“The police have recovered two out of three looted bags of jewellery, along with two pistols, 10 live cartridges and a bike,” ASP Kumar confirmed.
Meanwhile, the sheer scale of the heist left the jewellery store in shock. Kumar Mrityunjay, the showroom’s manager, said, “After evaluating the looted jewellery, we found that items worth over Rs 24 crore were taken. The quantity of gold jewellery was greater than that of diamonds. Some cash was also looted, but the exact amount is yet to be determined.”
However, with four criminals still at large, the hunt is far from over. A full-scale manhunt by police is underway.
“We have released images of the suspects on social media based on CCTV footage. The remaining robbers will be caught soon,” said ASP Kumar.
Bhojpur SP Raj said, “All possible escape routes have been cordoned off. The CCTV footage is being analysed for further leads. The criminals also took away the security guard’s rifle. We will arrest the remaining criminals soon.”
Recounting the terrifying ordeal, Manoj Kumar, the security guard on duty at the showroom, said, “Six criminals posing as customers arrived on two bikes. Since the showroom allows only four customers inside at a time, two of them entered first. The remaining four followed, immediately snatching my rifle before assaulting me. They seized the cellphones of all showroom staff at gunpoint and began looting the jewellery. Holding us hostage, they ransacked both floors of the showroom.”
