The Ahmedabad Rural Police have successfully cracked the high-profile robbery at Kanakpura Jewellers near Bopal Marigold Circle, apprehending four suspects. However, the stolen valuables remain unrecovered. The robbery committed in broad daylight on January 2, involved four masked and armed assailants who made off with jewellery worth ₹73.1 lakh.  

The crime  

Around 3.30 pm on January 2, four unidentified men, concealing their identities with helmets and handkerchiefs, stormed into Kanakpura Jewellers. Brandishing pistols, they held the shop staff hostage at gunpoint, binding the hands and feet of the complainant Bharatbhai Ramjibhai Soni before looting gold, silver, and other valuables.  

The case was registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, Gujarat Police Act, and Arms Act. Recognising the severity of the crime, senior officers, including Inspector General J R Mothaliya and Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat, deployed multiple teams from the Local Crime Branch (LCB), Special Operations Group (SOG), and Bopal police.  

CCTV footage 

The investigation involved an extensive review of over 300 CCTV cameras across the area and questioning of local residents and security personnel. Technical surveillance proved crucial in identifying the suspects, who were traced to Uttar Pradesh.

Police teams were subsequently dispatched to locations in Uttar Pradesh, including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Farrukhabad, Aligarh, and Noida. After days of meticulous tracking, all four suspects were apprehended. Efforts to recover the stolen valuables and weapons are ongoing.

Police have revealed that three country-made pistols were used during the robbery. While one pistol has been recovered, two remain unaccounted for. Despite the arrests, the whereabouts of the jewellery worth Rs 73 lakh remain unknown.  

Superintendent Om Prakash Jat stated, “During interrogation, we learned that some stolen goods were passed on to a jeweller in Uttar Pradesh. The remaining valuables will be traced during further investigation. We have secured 13-day remand for the suspects and are confident the valuables will be recovered.”  

Modus operandi  

The mastermind, Birendrakumar Chandrapal Khatik, who had extensive knowledge of Ahmedabad’s geography through his work with Airtel Tower, meticulously planned the heist. He collaborated with Javed alias Patri and two others, Amarsingh and Jotsingh, both of whom worked as security guards in Bopal.  

The gang targeted Kanakpura Jewellers due to its location in an open area, which allowe for an easy escape. They procured two pistols from Uttar Pradesh and conducted several reconnaissance missions before executing the robbery.  

SP Jat elaborated, “We suspect the gang comprises more than four individuals. These are professional robbers with a history of similar crimes. They shortlisted five jewellery shops in the Bopal and Sarkhej areas before finalising Kanakpura Jewellers due to its strategic location.  

“For at least 15 days, they observed and analysed the movements of the shop’s owner and staff to identify a time when the shop was least occupied. They executed the robbery with precision,” he added.  

The arrested suspects  

Chandrapal Khatik: Resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the mastermind.

Javed alias Patri Salim Ahmed Khande: Resident of Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, with a history of similar crimes.

 Amarsingh Madhavsingh Pratapsingh: Security guard and resident of Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh. 

Jotsingh Mewaram Motilal: Security guard and resident of Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.  

Criminal history 

Javed alias Patri has a history of robbery cases in Uttar Pradesh, with incidents reported in Dhola and Bulandshahr. Similarly, Birendrakumar was involved in a 2007 robbery in Kabirnagar.