Four arrested in Gwalior over robbery attempt at Bengaluru jewellery store

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police have arrested four people in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, over the daring robbery attempt at a jewellery store that left two people injured in Lottegollahalli last week. 

The incident sent shockwaves through the city as the robbers fired four rounds at the jeweller and his aide before abandoning a country-made pistol and fleeing. 

One bullet pierced the stomach of the jeweller, Hapuram; another hit the thigh of his nephew and aide Andaram, and stayed in. The other two bullets missed the target, police sources said. 

Three assailants — their faces fully masked— barged into Laxmi Bankers and Jewellers in Devinagar at 11 am on March 14. A fourth man stood outside the shop. 

The robbers demanded the men inside the jewellery store to pack the gold while one of them stood there loading the bullets into the pistol. 

Andaram resisted the attack. He struck the man loading the pistol on his head and pinned him down. Hapuram, meanwhile switched on the siren. Seeing this, another robber fired from his pistol at both Hapuram and Andaram. 

However, the siren went off soon, drawing the attention of neighbouring shopkeepers and forcing the robbers to flee. In the melee, the robbers abandoned one of the pistols and scooted off on their motorcycles. 

Police traced the gang members to Gwalior and apprehended them. Sources in the know identified the suspects as Suraj, Ashu Pandit, Khana Pandit and Vikas. Police believe one more suspect, possibly from Bengaluru, was involved in the attempted heist. But he wasn't present at the scene, the sources added. 

A police officer close to the investigation said the gang fled by train soon after the attack. 

'No firing in Gwalior'

Some reports on Sunday suggested that the Bengaluru police had shot the suspects during a showdown in Gwalior. 

A senior police officer, however, denied the claims. "There are some rumours that the Bangalore police has been involved in a firing incident in Madhya Pradesh. This is to clarify that no such incident has happened. Police hasn't fired at any accused persons. Our team is in Madhya Pradesh to arrest the accused persons involved (sic)," the officer said.