Bengaluru: Jewellery shops on city outskirts turn easy prey for armed gangs

Bengaluru: A spate of robberies targeting jewellery shops in Nelamangala and Madanayakanahalli has sparked concern among residents, traders and business owners alike.

Many are questioning the effectiveness of existing security measures in rapidly growing towns.

In T Begur village, Nelamangala, three armed men recently stormed Mahalakshmi Jewellers and Bankers, threatened the owner and staff at knifepoint, assaulted an employee, and fled with gold ornaments worth Rs 5 lakh. The employee was attacked while chasing the suspects.

The robbery in broad daylight has brought focus on the growing vulnerability of jewellery establishments along major roads and highway corridors on city outskirts.

Local traders said such incidents are no longer isolated and have become a recurring concern in parts of Nelamangala, Madanayakanahalli and neighbouring areas.

"Jewellery shops, pawnbrokers and finance establishments have increasingly emerged as attractive targets for criminals due to the availability of valuable items and relatively easy escape routes," said a senior officer from Nelamangala Rural police station.

The officer said many robberies on Bengaluru's outskirts involve migrant gangs, who choose such locations because they offer quick access to highways, making it easier to flee after committing the crime.

The suspects often plan robberies several days in advance and conduct reconnaissance before striking. The gangs are aware that police patrolling is relatively sparse in some localities and that inadequate CCTV coverage gives them room to operate repeatedly. After committing the offence, they allegedly use highways to reach railway stations or other transit points and leave the city before police teams can trace them.

The officer stressed the need for increased surveillance, better street lighting and more CCTV cameras in vulnerable areas to deter such crimes.

Residents said many commercial centres on the outskirts are situated near national and state highways. In several recent cases, robbers reportedly used motorcycles, covered their identities with helmets and masks, and carried out carefully planned robberies within minutes.

Business owners alleged that despite installing CCTV cameras and private security arrangements, robbers continue to exploit gaps in surveillance.

"Every robbery creates fear among traders and employees. Jewellery shop owners invest heavily in security systems, but offenders seem to have studied the locations and escape routes in advance and in some cases, they escape with DVRs connected to CCTV cameras as well," said a member of a local traders' association.

Following the latest incident, traders have renewed their demand for enhanced police patrolling in vulnerable stretches, particularly along highways and commercial hubs. They have also sought the installation of additional surveillance cameras at strategic junctions and improved vehicle checks to prevent crimes.

A senior officer from the Bengaluru Rural district said efforts were underway to trace the suspects and that local police would be instructed to increase patrolling around the area during business hours.

Previous incidents

On January 27, three bike-borne men barged into a jewellery shop in Dasanapura in Madanayakanahalli police station limits and decamped with 30 grams of gold ornaments and Rs 50,000 in cash after threatening the staff at gunpoint. Police arrested five men from Rajasthan two weeks later and recovered a pistol and valuables worth Rs 2.5 lakh.

In July 2025, three masked men escaped with 150 grams of gold ornaments from Sri Ram Jewellers at Machohalli in Madanayakanahalli. CCTV footage showed the miscreants threatening the owner at gunpoint, and they fled in just 18 seconds.