Robber with ₹3 lakh reward, involved in Tanishq heists, killed in Bihar

PATNA: Robber Chunmun Jha, linked to Tanishq heists, was killed in an encounter with STF in Bihar. Five police and two locals were injured.

PATNA: A robber, carrying a reward of ₹3 lakh, was shot dead on Saturday in an alleged encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) at Bihar’s Narpatganj. Two locals and five police officers, including the station house officer (SHO) of Narpatganj police station, were also injured during the cross-firing, police said.

A group of men walked into a branch of Tanishq jewellery store in Bihar, overpowered the security guard and robbed the outlet of gold and silver pieces worth ₹25 crore. (Video grab)

Chunmun Jha, a resident Araria, was allegedly one of the active members of Subodh Singh’s gold robbers gang. Singh is currently in West Bengal jail.

“Jha was top in the top 10 criminals of Seeamanchal. He was also active in Purvanchal, Kosi and Tirhut region. One of his aids managed to escaped from the spot in the darkness while Araria police led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Anjani Kumar, is currently combing the region to trace another gang member,” Purnea range deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pramod Kumar Mandal told HT.

Five police personnel, including SHO Kumar Vikash, STF inspector Mohammad Mushtaq, Shahabuddin Ansari, Deepak Kumar and driver Nagesh, were injured and are undergoing medical treatment. Two locals -- Mehnaz Praveen and Azmun Khatun --- also sustained injuries during the crossfire.

Jha was allegedly involved with the Tanishq show robberies in Purnea (2024) and Ara (2025).

At least six men masquerading as customers looted gold and diamond jewellery at gunpoint from a Tanishq showroom in Bihar’s Purnea last year after snatching mobile phones and locking all 22 staff in a room.

“Chunmun Jha had been on STF surveillance since the dacoity in Tanishq jewellery showroom in Purnea town on July 26, 2024. A gang of six criminals including Chunmun Jha decamped with gold jewellery worth ₹3. 70 crores from the Tanishq jewellery,” an officer from police headquarters said.

Earlier this year, a clutch of men walked into a Tanishq showroom in Bihar’s Ara city posing as customers, overpowered the security guard and robbed the outlet of gold and silver pieces worth ₹25 crore.

“On March 10, 2025, six armed criminals barged into Tanishq jewellery store Ara town and decamped with jewellery worth over ₹10 crore. Jha’s and associates name was cropped in the Ara’s Tanishq showroom loot case (worth ₹10 crore),” the officer said.

The officer added, “We tracked him down to Narpatganj through an informer’s tip at around 2am (Saturday). However, the gold robber, instead of surrendering, started opening fire at the cops. They fired at us after being spotted and tried to escape. At one point, the accused and police were face to face, exchanging fire. Jha immediately rushed to Araria sadar hospital where he succumbed to injury.”

Police said that Jha, a native of Majlispur in Palasi, was involved in several cases of murder, kidnapping and high-profile dacoity incidents. “His operations were marked by military-style planning, precise execution, and heavy weaponry,” additional director general of police (headquarters) Kundan Krishnan, said.

At least 21 criminals involved in the Tanishq store robberies in Purnea have been arrested so far, police said. Bhojpur police took swift action and arrested two of the robbers after a brief encounter on March 10. Two bags containing some of the looted ornaments were recovered from their possession. So far, around five individuals involved in the robbery at the Ara showroom have been apprehended.

The Bihar police had announced on March 17 that those daring to challenge the police should be ready for bullets.

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