Burqa-clad man loots ornaments worth ₹15 lakh, flees

Surprisingly, the man pulled off the heist single-handedly within 6-7 minutes and disappeared in narrow lanes.

LUCKNOW In a bizarre incident, an armed man wearing a ‘burqa’ entered a jewellery store posing as a woman and fled with ornaments worth ₹15 lakh after taking the salesman at gun point. Surprisingly, the man pulled off the heist single-handedly within 6-7 minutes and disappeared in narrow lanes of Khargapur locality under Gomti Nagar extension police station limits on Saturday.

Lucknow additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) SM Qasim Abidi said the police had found multiple footage of the miscreant while arriving at and fleeing from the jewellery store but were unable to ascertain his identity as his face was not visible. He said initial investigation suggested that although the miscreant had executed the crime single-handedly, some person familiar with the locality helped him as he suddenly disappeared in the narrow lanes.

The ADCP said it seemed that the miscreant removed his burqa at some secret place and thereafter he disappeared as a normal commuter on a motorcycle or car parked at some distance from the spot.

The ADCP said the loot occurred at a jewellery store named Gold House at JK shopping complex at Geetapuri crossing of Khargapur. He said the store was owned by one Anshu Soni, but he was not present at the time of the incident. He said Soni’s employee Pradeep Kumar was alone when the miscreant entered the store at around 11.30 am.

“According to the servant, the miscreant, who first spoke in a female voice, asked him to show some ornaments and took him at gunpoint when he opened the locker to bring out jewellery kept inside. Then it was revealed that the criminal was a man.The miscreant collected the jewellery in a bag and fled within a few minutes. He disappeared in narrow lanes before Pradeep could raise an alarm and call near-by shopkeepers,” he said .

Another senior police official said the role of the servant was suspicious and he had been questioned about the incident. Besides, a local man had been picked up for questioning on the basis of suspicion and further investigation in the matter was on, he added.