Bengaluru: How tea break phone call unravelled lightning-fast jewellery heist

Bengaluru: A phone call made by robbers during a short tea break helped the police solve the lightning-fast heist reported from a jewellery store in northern Bengaluru in June. 

On June 26, two masked men walked into Padam Jewellers and Bankers in Lakshmipura near Madanayakanahalli, held the shopkeeper at gunpoint and escaped with Rs 50 lakh worth of gold in just 32 seconds. 

On Wednesday, the Bengaluru Rural police announced the arrest of seven members of an interstate gang of pawnbrokers-turned-robbers in connection with the heist. 

While CCTV footage of the route taken by the robbers after the heist didn’t aid the investigation much, police got a breakthrough when they went backwards and examined the suspects' reverse route — how they reached the jewellery store. 

According to the police, three people who rode up on a bike were directly involved in the heist, assisted by four others who travelled in an auto. 

Shortly before reaching the jewellery shop, the gang had taken a tea break at a roadside shop. 

As per CCTV footage, one suspect made a phone call during this time. After analysing the tower dump of the location of that time and weeding out all suspected numbers, police identified the number from which the call was placed — to Rajasthan. 

Police traced that number to Narayan Lal, the ringleader, and picked him up for questioning. They subsequently arrested his accomplices — Ram Lal, Kishor Pawar, Mahendra Gehlot, Kiratharam alias Shankar, Ashok Kumar and Sohan Ram. 

Police have seized an auto, a KTM motorbike and a 0.6 mm country-made pistol. They have also identified the person from Bihar who supplied the pistol, but are yet to arrest him. 

Police have also recovered 470 grams of stolen gold that was sold to a jeweller in Rajasthan. 

CK Baba, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, said all the suspects worked together and were pawnbrokers. "One of the suspects is from Rajasthan, but resided in Bengaluru. He had suffered huge losses and decided to rob a jewellery shop. He discussed the plan with another suspect and, through him, roped in more people,” Baba told DH. 

'Flawless recce'

A police officer involved in the investigation explained how the gang members did a reconnaissance twice, two days before the heist. They visited the spot, watched the jewellers, observed the area and weaved a plan, according to the officer.