In a daring daylight robbery on Monday afternoon, two youths entered a jewellery shop in Gorakhpur and snatched approximately 20 grams of gold before fleeing. The incident occurred at Devansh Swarnkala Kendra, where the owner's 18-year-old daughter, Amrita Verma, was alone at the time.
Displaying remarkable courage, Amrita gave chase for nearly 100 metres, caught one of the accused by the wrist, and brought him down. In the ensuing struggle, she cut her hand, but her valiant effort held the culprits accountable even though the accused managed to escape temporarily.
Acting swiftly on the information, police teams tracked down the suspects. On Wednesday, five accused were arrested following a police encounter near Dhuriyapar sugar mill. During the operation, two of the accused sustained bullet injuries in their legs after opening fire on the police, who retaliated in self-defence.
SP (South) Dinesh Kumar Puri stated, “After the April 27 robbery, six teams along with surveillance were deployed. During a check near Dhuriyapar sugar mill, five suspects on two bikes opened fire and tried to flee. In retaliatory action, two were injured.”
The injured were taken to a community health centre and later referred to the district hospital for further treatment. Police seized two .315 bore country-made pistols, live and empty cartridges, Rs 15,500 in cash, four pairs of gold earrings, a silver ring, two motorcycles, a digital weighing machine, and a mobile phone from the accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rehan, Mehdi Hasan, Shagir Ali, Mustafa, and Afzal Ali. According to police, Rehan has a prior criminal record, and the background of the other accused is being verified.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to having surveyed the jewellery shop by posing as spectacle vendors. They also admitted to changing the number plates of their motorcycles before committing the crime to avoid detection.
The robbery took place when two men posing as customers snatched gold earrings. Amrita Verma briefly caught one of the accused, but he later escaped. Her bravery, however, ensured that the police had crucial leads to apprehend the gang.
The prompt action by the police and the courage of the young woman have been widely appreciated in the city.
