Dacoits strike at jewellers

PUNE, July 29: Barely 24 hours after striking the thickly-populated Kothrud area, dacoits targeted a jewellery shop at Chandan Nagar off ...

PUNE, July 29: Barely 24 hours after striking the thickly-populated Kothrud area, dacoits targeted a jewellery shop at Chandan Nagar off Pune-Ahmednagar Road and decamped with jewellery worth over Rs. 2 lakh after shooting and seriously injuring two owners of the shop, who tried to resist them early on Wednesday morning.

A gang of ten gun-wielding dacoits forced their way into Alankar Jewellers, a shop-cum-residence owned by Vilas Shahane, after breaking the wooden doors on the rear side of the residence around 2 a.m. Vilas and brother Ravindra 21, who put up a resistance, were shot at by the intruders.

The armed dacoits ransacked the entire shop, collected the jewellery displayed in show cases and threatening the four inmates including Vilas8217;s wife Rupali and his three-year-old son, of dire consequences if they tried to resist. An attempt by Vilas and Ravindra to foil their bid provoked a sharp retaliation when the intruders first assaulted and shot at them.

The two have been admitted to a private hospital and, according to hospital authorities, their condition is critical. Rupali, who suffered minor injuries, was released after being administered first aid.

A young neighbour was also assaulted by the fleeing dacoits when he opened the door of his house, responding to the alarm raised by Shahanes. A profously bleeding Vilas staggered out of his house and tried to summon help after the dacoits went away. However, all his efforts proved to be vain as neighbours refused to open their doors. Even the drivers of three vehicles passing on the Chandan Nagar-Mundhawa road sped away without helping the injured. The injured were shifted to the Sassoon Hospital by the police who reached the spot about an hour after the incident.

Vilas and Ravindra were shifted later to a private hospital. The hospital authorities said the duo have suffered several injuries on the temple, face and chest.

Ravindra and Vilas tried to fight back even after being shot at. However, the dacoits outnumbered them, recalled Rupali in the afternoon. Ravindra said the intruders broke open the wooden doors of their house with axes after failing to break open the rolling shutters of the shop.

Story continues below this ad

He said the dacoits opened fire at him from a 12 bore gun when he and Vilas started resisting. 8220;While I and Vilas tried to block the doors, Rupali threw soccers at the intruders. However, we had to give in when they opened fire at me and Vilas,8221; said Ravindra.

The dacoits were in the age group of 25 to 30 years. They were wearing lungis and shirts. They conversed with us in Hindi, Rupali said in a complaint lodged with the Yerawada police.

The dacoits snapped telephone cables before escaping, said inspector in charge of Yerawada police station Shamrao Dhulubulu. A dog squad deployed at the spot picked up the trail to a spot about 150 metres from the shop. From there the dacoits are suspected to have escaped by a vehicle. Some fingerprints were found at the spot, he added.