In Patna's Masaudhi subdivision, a gang of nearly ten armed, masked men broke into a jewellery shop and the house built above it late on Sunday night, holding the entire family hostage for close to an hour while they ransacked the place. By the time they fled, the robbers had made off with gold jewellery and cash worth around Rs 40 lakh, and police are now combing through CCTV footage to trace them.
Robbers scaled a ladder into the house in Bhagwanganj
The incident took place in the Bhagwanganj police station area of the Masaudhi subdivision, where Chandni Alankar Jewellery shop stands with the owner's family living on the floor above it. The armed men reportedly propped a ladder against the rear of the building to climb in, then broke the lock on a door to get inside. The family was asleep at the time and was held at gunpoint the moment the intruders entered.
Shop owner says the ransacking went on for nearly 50 minutes
Shopkeeper Deepak Soni said the robbers spent roughly 40 to 50 minutes searching both the house and the shop without any apparent hurry, going through cupboards and lockers in the process. They eventually left with about 200 grams of gold ornaments and Rs 30,000 in cash. According to Soni, the combined value of everything stolen works out to close to Rs 40 lakh. Word of the robbery quickly reached the local police, setting off a scramble to respond.
Police lean on CCTV and technical clues to trace the gang
City SP (East) Shailja and Masaudhi DSP Raghav Dayal both rushed to the spot with their teams once they were alerted, inspecting the scene closely and taking a detailed account from the affected family. Officers have started reviewing footage from CCTV cameras installed in the surrounding area, alongside gathering technical evidence. DSP Raghav Dayal said that given how serious the case is, a dedicated team has been set up to identify the culprits using camera footage, technical leads and other clues gathered from the scene.
