In a daylight robbery right out of a Bollywood thriller, gun-wielding robbers assaulted a Tanishq Showroom store in Arrah, Bihar, on Monday and stole ornaments worth ₹25 crore at gunpoint. The robbery occurred at the Gopali Chowk outlet, and the city and the authorities are aghast.
Eyewitness accounts say that approximately eight to ten masked men arrived at the showroom at noon dressed as customers. In a flash, they threatened the employees and customers with weapons, demanding cooperation. CCTV footage from the showroom, which has since gone viral, captures the robbers swiftly filling their bags with gold and diamond jewellery, including chains, necklaces, bangles, and a few diamond pieces, all within a span of 30 minutes.
Not only did the robbers take the staff members hostage at gunpoint, but also overpowered the security officers, disarming them of their weapons. The robbers are reported to have carried out the whole operation in a military-style manner, with little resistance and no panic to bystanders outside the shop.
A reported gunfight broke out between the robbers and the police at Babhura, on the Ara-Chhapra road, while they were escaping. Two robbers got hurt in the crossfire and were subsequently taken into police custody for hospitalization. But others escaped with most of the loot. The police have arrested a few suspects and are scrutinizing the CCTV records to identify the culprits.
Kumar Mrityunjay, the store manager, revealed that despite multiple calls to the police during the heist, there was a noticeable delay in the response. “It’s a failure of the authorities. We were calling for help, but no one responded in time,” he lamented. Two staff members were also injured during the incident, allegedly attacked with revolver butts.
The magnitude of the heist has put Bihar’s security arrangement at high-end establishments under intense scrutiny. Bihar authorities have guaranteed a speedy inquiry, with specialized teams constituted for tracking down the perpetrators. Top police officials conceded delays in the response time and have vowed action to rectify the situation.
As the probe continues, the incident has left the people of Arrah in shock, underlining the need for strengthening security arrangements at business centers throughout the state.
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