Gold jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh stolen from Sarni shop; 9-member SIT formed

Police have formed a nine-member special investigation team (SIT) of officers and personnel to probe the theft of gold jewellery worth more than Rs 20 lakh from a jewellery shop in Sarni, Betul district.

The incident took place on November 10 at Arna Jewellery Shop in Bagdona. Two accused arrived posing as customers and asked shopkeeper Arvind Soni to show them gold earrings, amulets and other jewellery. Soni went inside the shop to bring out the items. In the meantime, the accused picked up a packet of gold jewellery kept in the shop. The packet held about 125 grams of gold ornaments. The accused fled without buying anything. The entire incident was captured on the shop's CCTV cameras.

According to police, both accused have been identified from the CCTV footage. One of them is a resident of Bhopal and the other of Mumbai. A police team has been sent to Bhopal to arrest them.

Police suspect an Irani gang because of the manner of the theft. Members of the gang visit shops as customers, distract the shopkeeper with talk, steal jewellery and move to other states after the crime.

About two years ago, a jewellery shop in the Sarni area was robbed in a similar way. That case has not been solved so far. Police are now comparing the methods used in the old and new thefts.

The SIT has been formed under Additional Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Kharpuse. It includes SDOP Priyanka Karcham, Sarni police station in-charge Jaypal Ivnati, Pathakhera outpost in-charge Manoj Uikey, sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Bundela, head constables Manoj and Mohit, and Rajendra Dhadse of the cyber cell.

According to Superintendent of Police Amit Saxena, the search for the accused is on and they will be arrested soon.