Robbers barge into jewellery store and decamp with gold jewellery, shoot at owner

BENGALURU: Four robbers barged into a jewellery store at Byadarahalli on Thursday and stole 2.5 kg of gold after shooting the shop owner in the leg and threatening him with a knife.

In a dramatic chain of events, the injured jewellery store owner chased the fleeing robbers on a two-wheeler and even caught one of them, but the robbers pointed a gun at him and other locals who gathered and made good his escape. The injured jeweller has since been hospitalised.

The motorcycle abandoned by the robbers and (right) the jewellery store owner Manohar.

On Thursday afternoon, four men barged into Vinayaka Jewellers on Pipeline Road in Byaradahalli and pulled down the shutter from inside. They then pointed a gun and knife at the shop owner Manohar. When he did not budge, they shot him in the leg and decamped with gold jewellery. The robbers had come on a motorcycle, suspected to be stolen (KA 05 JQ 6254), but abandoned it near the shop and fled.

A bleeding Manohar chased them on his two-wheeler and caught one of them, but was threatened again with a gun. The robbers had entered his store on the pretext of buying a ring and robbed 2.5 kg of gold ornaments.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S Girish said so far, the police have information that more than 1 kg of gold was stolen. “Four people were involved in the robbery and they had come on two motorcycles. But they left behind one motorcycle and escaped. The jewellery store owner was shot when he went after them”.

Further, he said four teams of the police under four police inspectors have been formed to nab the culprits and expressed confidence of apprehending them soon.