Armed robbers looted jewellery worth ₹14 cr from Sangli shop

Pune: The armed robbers who allegedly looted a jewellery shop in Sangli on Sunday made away with ornaments worth more than ₹14 crore, police officials said on Monday. The police have formed nine teams to nab the suspects who they believe are part of an interstate gang.

According to the police, around 12 to 15 robbers, posing as customers, but carrying concealed revolvers and other weapons, entered the Reliance Jewels located at Market Yard area on Sangli-Miraj Road during the afternoon.

They fired a few rounds in the air, and looted gold ornaments and escaped, said Basavaraj Teli, superintendent of police, Sangli. The police recovered a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler abandoned by the robbers after the heist.

“We have registered an FIR against unidentified persons and based on the assessment done by shop employees, the worth of the stolen jewellery is around ₹14 crore,” said Teli.

According to the jewellery shop executives, around 80 per cent of the stock was looted by the robbers. Police have described the crime as the “largest” in the district and “meticulously” planned.

According to the officials, the robbers entered the jewellery shop as customers. “Once inside the shop, some of them took out their hidden weapons and began threatening staff and customers. While the customers were asked to assemble at a corner of the shop, staff was told to sit and their hands were tied,” said an official.

The robbers also damaged the recorder of CCTV cameras although the police have managed to recover footage of cameras located at other spots.