Jeweller, his employee sustain gunshots while thwarting loot in Bengaluru: Police

Jewellery shop owner and employee shot during a daylight robbery attempt in Bengaluru. Police investigating, suspects at large.

Bengaluru: A jewellery shop owner and his staffer sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to thwart two bike-borne assailants from looting their shop in daylight in Kodigehalli area of Bengaluru, the police said on Thursday.

Police have started an investigation into the case (HT)

The injured have been identified as Appuram (35), the owner of Lakshmi Bankers and Jewellers, and his employee Anandram (23).

According to the witnesses, the assailants had barged into the shop wearing helmets and shawls to hide their identity. They demanded the shop owners to hand over the jewellery. Upon resistance, the accused shot at the jewellers. The miscreants were forced to flee when the passersby rushed to the shop. While bolting, they dropped their pistol on the spot, which was recovered by police.

Soon after the incident, Kodigehalli police reached the spot and began an investigation into the matter. The victims were rushed to MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital.

B Dayananda, the city police commissioner, stated that the incident occurred in a secluded part of the road.

“Four individuals attempted to rob the jewellery shop. When the shop owner and staff resisted, the perpetrators fired two to three rounds. Two individuals sustained injuries and have been shifted to the hospital. Every possible effort is underway to apprehend the suspects,” he affirmed.

Security footage from nearby CCTV cameras captured the escape of the assailants. Initial reports suggest that the motive behind the shooting was an attempted robbery.

‘’We have registered a case, collecting information about the assailants,” a police officer from Kodigehalli police station said.

This is the second such incident of shop looting in the city in five months.

On October 12, 2023, a gang of four armed men barged into Vinayaka Jewellers in Byadarahalli area and opened fire at the owner before fleeing with 1kg of gold jewellery.