IN yet another daring incident, a jeweller was robbed of gold and silver ornaments worth approximately Rs 50 lakh by three unidentified youths near village Khamharia on the outskirts of the city on Friday evening. The accused snatched the bag containing jewellery and cash and fled on a motorcycle, leaving police on high alert. The incident comes barely three days after armed miscreants looted jewellery worth Rs 3.35 crore at gunpoint from a trader in Rajkishore Nagar, marking the second major robbery in the city within a short span. According to police sources,Soni, a resident of Baloda in Janjgir-Champa district and proprietor of Ramesh Jewellers near Khamharia bus stand, had closed his shop for the day and was preparing to return home when the robbery took place.

 

Three masked youths arrived on a bike, and one of them swiftly snatched the bag containing gold and silver ornaments along with cash before speeding away. The entire episode unfolded within seconds, leaving traders and locals in the area shocked. Acting promptly, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sipat police station, Rajesh Mishra, along with his team rushed to the spot and sealed the exit routes in the vicinity. Additional Superintendents of Police (ASP) Pankaj Kumar Patel and Madhulika Singh, accompanied by the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit (ACCU), also reached the scene and inspected the area. ASP Madhulika Singh informed that barricades have been set up at key points and teams have been deployed on all possible escape routes. Police are scanning CCTV footage and questioning nearby traders and residents to gather leads about the suspects.

 

However, due to the absence of surveillance cameras on the village roads leading to the crime spot, no significant clues have been obtained so far. “Police reached the spot immediately after the incident. Teams have been dispatched to all possible routes. CCTV footage is being examined to identify the accused. They will be arrested soon,” ASP Madhulika Singh said. In the previous incident in Rajkishore Nagar, five habitual offenders had looted ornaments worth Rs 3.35 crore at gunpoint from a jeweller. The accused were later arrested in Uttar Pradesh following a brief encounter. Police have registered a case at Sipat police station and further investigation is underway.