Patna: A jewellery shop in Patna’s Phulwarisharif area was targeted in a daylight armed robbery on Sunday, with assailants looting valuables worth around Rs 20 lakh within minutes, police said.
The incident took place at Shri Lakshmi Alankar Jewelers, where five men arrived on motorcycles, all wearing helmets to conceal their identities.
Customers Held At Gunpoint
According to police and eyewitness accounts, three of the assailants entered the shop while two remained outside. The men brandished firearms, held the shopkeeper and customers hostage and forced them to sit in a corner.
When the shop owner, identified as Dhananjay Kumar, attempted to resist, he was assaulted and struck with the butt of a pistol, sustaining head injuries.
Loot And Escape
The assailants reportedly looted around 100 grams of gold and 3 kilograms of silver ornaments before fleeing the scene within five to six minutes.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers fired two to three rounds while escaping, creating panic in the area.
CCTV footage from the shop shows the sequence of events, including customers being threatened and the swift execution of the robbery.
Police Investigation Underway
Police from Ramkrishna Nagar station, along with senior officers including Parichay Kumar, city superintendent of police (east), reached the spot shortly after the incident.
A team from the Special Task Force has also joined the investigation, and CCTV footage from nearby locations is being analysed to identify the suspects.
Parichay Kumar said the robbery was carried out by five individuals and that efforts are under way to trace them. “Our team has begun the investigation, and we expect a breakthrough soon,” he said.
Eyewitness Accounts
A neighbouring shop owner said the robbery was completed in a matter of minutes. “Three of them went inside, assaulted the shopkeeper and carried out the loot very quickly. They fired while leaving,” he said.
Police said further details are likely to emerge as the investigation progresses.
