Fifth accused in Nagpur jewellery shop robbery arrested in Andaman and Nicobar

Nagpur: After a long investigation, police have arrested the fifth accused in the gunpoint robbery of lakhs of rupees at a jeweller's shop in MIDC. Following arrests in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the fifth accused was arrested in Andaman and Nicobar. The action was a joint operation by MIDC police and the Crime Branch. Police have so far recovered goods worth Rs 53.75 lakh, including jewellery.

On the evening of October 3, jewellery worth Rs 40 lakh was looted at Dhomane Jewellers, opposite Mahakali Bar on Hingna Road in Nagpur, after employee Shubham Hadge was beaten up at gunpoint. Police took the incident seriously and conducted raids in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. With help from local police and the use of AI technology, they carried the investigation forward. On that basis, Abhishek Singh Thakur, Jairam alias Jogi Thakur, Shubhankit Nileshkumar Chaturvedi and Rajan Sami Sharma were arrested. The fifth accused, 34-year-old Mumtakeel Ganeer Ahmed, however, remained out of police reach. He was arrested in Andaman and Nicobar, thousands of kilometres from Nagpur.

Mumtakeel is a trader in Andaman and Nicobar. He had gone to a Chennai jail in a murder case. There, Rajan Sharma was lodged in a mule account case, while the other accused were in jail in robbery cases. The men became friends. After coming out of jail, Mumtakeel lent Rajan Sharma Rs 12 lakh for business. Under the pretext of returning the money, Rajan Sharma called Mumtakeel to Nagpur, and Mumtakeel came at his request. During this time, Rajan Sharma carried out the robbery. After being caught, he told his associates to give Mumtakeel's name, telling them that because Mumtakeel was in Andaman and Nicobar, police would not be able to trace him and they could easily hide the truth. On this basis, Rajan's associates named Mumtakeel. The truth came out after Mumtakeel was caught. His plight is like adding insult to injury. By trusting Rajan, Mumtakeel has landed in serious trouble.

During the investigation, police also recovered 165 grams of gold from the gold sold to jewellers in Uttar Pradesh, and 70 grams of small gold items. Goods worth Rs 53.75 lakh have so far been recovered from the accused.