How Jewellery Worth Rs 25 Crore Was Looted In 17 Minutes From Bihar Tanishq Store

The six robbers who stole jewellery worth Rs 25 crore from a Tanishq store in Bihar's Arrah had entered the outlet as customers. Once inside, they held the staff at gunpoint before fleeing the showroom with their loot.

The incident left the state police red-faced as the Opposition said "goons" are ruling Bihar. Late last night, however, police said they intercepted the robbers at a checkpoint. The criminals opened fire and the cops retaliated. Two robbers were injured in the gunfight and have been arrested. A big chunk of the loot -- some reports claim 70 per cent -- has been recovered from the robbers.

How Robbers Entered Shop

The Tanishq store at Gopali Chowk in Arrah opened around 10 am yesterday. Like every day, the staff brought out jewellery from the vault to display in the store. About half an hour after the shop opened, six people arrived in a car, parked it across the street and approached the shop. The guard stopped them at the gate. "As per policy, we do not allow groups of more than four to enter together, so we asked them to enter in pairs. The sixth (and the last) person held a pistol to my head, snatched my weapon, and assaulted me," Manoj Kumar, one of the guards, told news agency IANS.

Store Staff Attacked

Rohit Kumar Mishra, an employee at the store, told the media that the criminals snatched the guard's guns and then rounded up the staff in a corner with their hands up. "I hid behind the counter, but they brought me out and beat me up. They asked for my phone. I had hidden it. One of the robbers said, 'Shoot him, he is trying to be CID'. We were so scared that we could not understand what was happening." Another employee Simran said she called the cops right after the robbers held them at gunpoint. The staff said while they were assured that police were on their way, they arrived only after the robbers left with their loot. Some reports say the robbers were in and out within 17 minutes.

What Was Stolen

Kumar Mrityunjay, the store manager, said the robbers stole jewellery worth Rs 25 crore and cash. "These include gold chains, necklaces, bangles, diamonds, everything," he said, adding that the store had significant stocks to meet high demand during the wedding season. The store owner blamed the administration. "This was in broad daylight. We called the cops, but there was no swift response," he said, adding that two security guards were injured. At the time of the incident, 25 staff members were on duty at the store.

Night Encounter, Arrests

A Bhojpur police statement has said that shortly after the robbery, a vehicle check drive was ordered and photos of the criminals from the CCTV footage were circulated across the district. Last night, a police team was checking vehicles when they spotted six suspicious people on three bikes. When they were asked to stop, they sped away. This started a hot pursuit and a police car followed them. During the chase, the criminals opened fire. When police fired back, two robbers were shot in their legs. They have been taken into custody and are under treatment. "We have recovered two pistols, 10 bullets, looted jewellery in two bags and a Pulsar motorcycle. Raids are being conducted to arrest the other accused," police said. 

Opposition Slams Nitish Kumar

Targeting the Nitish Kumar government over the daylight robbery at a Tanishq store in Bihar's Arrah, Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has said the Chief Minister is "unconscious" and citizens should take care of themselves and their families and not expect anything from the administration. Sharing a video of the robbery, Mr Yadav launched an attack laced with sarcasm. He said Bihar was a "media-proven" and "RSS-certified" Ram Rajya -- an expression used to refer to an ideally governed state. Mr Yadav noted that the robbery took place close to a police station and the police superintendent's residence.