Jewellery robbery suspects still at large, cops detain kin to mount pressure

Nearly 36 hours after the ₹1 crore robbery at Vijay Jewellers in Bhargo Camp, the three identified accused Kaushal, Gagan, and Karan remain absconding.

The accused reportedly live just a km away from the shop in the same colony. They looted eight jewellery sets, 12 gold chains, a man's bracelet, two women's bracelets, rings and earrings worth over Rs 95 lakh on Thursday morning. Besides, they had also taken away Rs 2 lakh cash from Nikhil, the son of jeweller, at gunpoint during the less than two-minute robbery.

Police sources said Kaushal and Gagan have had a criminal past. Kaushal, who has a deformed left hand and was identified in the video because of his handicap, has a murder case against him since 2021 and was out on bail. He also has five other cases against him, including those under the NDPS Act. Gagan too has a case against him for liquor smuggling. To put pressure for their arrest, the police have reportedly rounded up their family members.

Meanwhile, the family members of the jewellers from Bhargo Camp went to the police station today and appealed to the police to quickly arrest the robbers and recover the gold. "We have suffered such a huge loss. We shall not be able to overcome this loss all our lives if the recovery is not made", said the family members of Deepak, the victim jeweller.

The Opposition is already attacking the government and the police since the incident. PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring visited the showroom this evening. He said, "The robbers can be so fearless to walk in and walk away with the booty in the broad daylight only if they are pally with the police. The boldness with which they committed the crime as seen in the CCTV footage points to major faults in the law and order situation of Punjab. No one is safe in the AAP tenure. This incident is a reminder of the murder of a cloth merchant in Nakodar, the killing of kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian and singer Sidhu Moosewala".

Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa too said, "AAP has pushed Punjab into anarchy, where fear and lawlessness have become the new normal. The people live in fear. The streets are ruled by criminals while the CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, remains asleep,” Bajwa said. He added, “These chilling incidents are not isolated acts of crime, they are symptoms of a deep rot that has set in under the Mann government."

To represent the goverment side, minister Mohinder also visited Vijay Jewellers and said the government stood firmly with them and that justice will be delivered soon. He said Punjab Police teams have been working tirelessly to arrest the accused, who have already been identified. He also said the robbed jewellery items will be recovered from the accused after the arrest and will be returned to victims. Meanwhile, the minister also slammed the Opposition for playing politics on such a crucial issue for political gains.

8 jewellery sets among stolen items

The accused reportedly live just a km away from the shop in the same colony. They looted eight jewellery sets, 12 gold chains, a man's bracelet, two women's bracelets, rings and earrings worth over Rs 95 lakh on Thursday morning. Besides, they had also taken away Rs 2 lakh cash from Nikhil, the son of jeweller, at gunpoint during the less than two-minute heist.