Jamshedpur, Sep 3 (IANS) Armed criminals carried out a daring daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur on Wednesday afternoon, fleeing with valuables worth lakhs of rupees.

According to eyewitnesses and initial police reports, six people entered the Vardhman Jewellers in the Sonari police station area, posing as regular customers. Moments later, they brandished firearms and took the shop owner, Pankaj Jain, hostage at gunpoint.

The gang then swiftly began looting gold and diamond ornaments from the showcases and storage areas.

When Jain attempted to resist, one of the criminals struck him on the head with the butt of a pistol, leaving him seriously injured. He was later rushed to Tata Main Hospital (TMH) for emergency treatment. His condition is reported to be stable but critical.

The entire incident, which lasted only a few minutes, was captured on the shop’s CCTV cameras.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the robbers fled with jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees.

During the heist, three rounds of firing also took place, though nobody was injured.

Upon receiving the alert, the City SP and a team from Sonari police station arrived at the scene and began collecting forensic evidence.

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage to identify the culprits. A massive manhunt has been launched, with police setting up roadblocks and intensifying patrols across the city.

The incident has sparked outrage among local residents and traders, who are demanding stronger security measures in commercial areas. Police officials have assured the public that the culprits will be apprehended soon.

This robbery comes on the heels of a similar incident on June 24, when criminals looted Rs 1.5 crore worth of gold and cash from a jeweller in the Chakulia police station area. In that case, the accused were later arrested.

Just over a month ago, another high-profile daylight robbery occurred at Chas Mor in Bokaro, where a gang from Bihar looted jewellery worth crores of rupees. That gang was apprehended within two days in Patna.

–IANS

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