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Two held for robbing jewellery from store in Khanapur; ₹70 lakh gold recovered
The accused have been identified as Ankush Dagdu Kachare, 20, and Ganesh Bhambu Kachare, 22, both residents of Katraj
Rural police have arrested two men accused of robbing a jewellery store in Khanapur at gunpoint and recovered gold ornaments worth ₹70.32 lakh from them, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused have been identified as Ankush Dagdu Kachare, 20, and Ganesh Bhambu Kachare, 22, both residents of Katraj. Police have also taken three minors into custody for their alleged involvement in the crime.
According to police, the robbery took place on December 26, around 12.30 pm at Vaishnavi Jewellers in Khanapur. Five to six persons entered the shop, threatened the staff with a weapon, and fled with 114 grams of gold ornaments and ₹20,000 in cash, valued at ₹1.43 crore. A complaint was lodged at Haveli police station by shop employee Rani Amol Babar.
Taking note of the crime, superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill and additional superintendent of police Ramesh Chopde visited the spot and issued investigation directives. Six police teams were formed, including four from the local crime branch and one each from Haveli and Velhe police stations.
The investigation revealed that the accused had used two motorcycles to escape. CCTV footage and witness accounts helped police trace their movement towards Panshet and Velhe, eventually leading to the Sinhagad forest area.
Based on a tip-off received, the police apprehended Ankush and Ganesh Kachare from the forest area. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to committing the robbery with the help of three minors.
Police recovered a sharp weapon (koyta) used in the crime and 56 tolas of gold ornaments from their possession. Ankush has three prior criminal cases related to bodily offences, police said. The accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody till January 5.
