Chhapra/Patna: A gold merchant was robbed at gunpoint in Bihar’s Saran district on Sunday morning after armed criminals intercepted his motorcycle and fled with jewellery, cash and a mobile phone allegedly worth around Rs 22 lakh, police said.
The incident took place in the Taraiya market area under the jurisdiction of Taraiya Police Station and later sparked protests by traders and local residents, who blocked roads alleging delayed police action.
Merchant Robbed While Travelling to Shop
According to police and local residents, the victim, Satyendra Kumar, operates a jewellery shop named Kanchan Jewelers in Faridpur Mathiya.
Officials said Kumar was travelling from his home to the shop around 10am carrying jewellery in the storage compartment of his motorcycle when he was intercepted near BDS College in Ramkola.
Police said:
- Four armed men riding two Apache motorcycles allegedly surrounded him
- The attackers forced him to stop at gunpoint
- The motorcycle keys were snatched before the robbery
Jewellery, Cash and Phone Looted
According to the victim’s statement, the robbers escaped with:
- Approximately 2kg of silver jewellery
- Around 100 grams of gold jewellery
- Rs 30,000 in cash
- A mobile phone
The victim alleged that the accused later threw the mobile phone into a nearby field about 200 metres away before fleeing.
Traders Protest, Block Road
Following the incident, traders and residents gathered in Taraiya market and staged a road blockade demanding immediate arrests.
The protest reportedly continued for nearly an hour and disrupted traffic movement, leading to long queues of vehicles in the area.
Local traders alleged that police response to the robbery had been slow.
Rajiv Kumar Gupta claimed he waited for nearly two hours at the police station after attempting to lodge a complaint.
He alleged that the local police had failed to act promptly and demanded immediate recovery of the stolen jewellery and arrest of the accused.
Police Launch Investigation
Police later arrived at the protest site, pacified demonstrators and cleared the blockade.
Officials said an investigation had been launched and CCTV footage from nearby areas was being examined.
Sanjay Kumar Sudhanshu said:
- A special police team had been formed
- Technical surveillance was being used in the investigation
- Mobile tracking and CCTV analysis were underway
Police added that an FIR had been registered based on the victim’s complaint and claimed the suspects had been identified.
Authorities said arrests were expected soon.
