Thane jeweller scares off armed robbers using stick, one arrested

Police said the accused are from outside Maharashtra and had been staying in Kalwa for the past month

THANE: A Thane-based jeweller on Wednesday fended off a robbery attempt at his store in Balkum Pada 2 by chasing away four robbers who were armed with a pistol. Three of the accused managed to flee from the spot, while the fourth one was apprehended by local residents and handed over to the police.

Thane, India - August 14, 2024: Two unidentified assailants fired a gun on Darshan Jewellers, a gold and silver shop in the Balkum area of Thane on Wednesday One accused has been arrested and further police investigation is on , in Thane ,in Mumbai, India, on, Wednesday, August 14, 2024. ( Praful Gangurde /HT Photo )

Footage from the store’s CCTV camera showed that after all four robbers wearing helmets barged into the shop simultaneously, one of them threatened the jeweller by brandishing a pistol while the others started picking up gold jewellery pieces. The shopkeeper, however, chased them away using a stick.

While three of the robbers managed to flee, one of them was nabbed by Gavin Rozario, 35, a resident of Thane, who was driving past the shop when he saw the accused running out.

“While I was on my way to a meeting in Kalwa, I halted near Darshan Jewellers to make a phone call. That was when I saw four suspects wearing helmets running out of the shop. I quickly alighted and ran after the last suspect. Being 6.2 feet tall, it was easy for me to grab him by the collar,” said Rozario. “Other passersby also came forward to help after which we handed over the suspect to the police.”

Police said the accused are from outside Maharashtra and had been staying in Kalwa for the past month. They have been booked for attempted robbery under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. The arrested accused, identified as Manoj Kumar, was injured when he was apprehended by the locals and was subsequently treated at a hospital, said police. He has not been cooperating with the investigation, they added.

“The prompt action of the jewellery shop worker caused the accused to flee. We have collected CCTV footage from various locations to track the whereabouts of the other suspects. A separate team is investigating the matter,” said senior police inspector S Pol from Kapurbawdi police station, which is investigating the matter.