Jewellery heist in Ahmedabad: Thieves stash booty, return to find it’s gone!
In a bizarre twist to the high-profile Kanakpura Jewellers robbery case in Bopal, Ahmedabad, the four arrested accused have claimed that the stolen jewellery, worth ₹73.1 lakh, was stolen after they had buried it in a secluded spot. This revelation has left investigators baffled, as efforts to recover the loot have so far been unsuccessful.
The armed robbery, which took place on January 2, saw four masked assailants storm Kanakpura Jewellers in South Bopal at gunpoint. They made away with a significant haul of gold and silver jewellery, fleeing the scene within minutes. After their arrest, the accused led the police to their supposed hiding spot, only to find the stolen jewellery missing.
Thieves lose the booty
According to police officials, the accused had initially fled to a desolate area covered in thick bushes, roughly 500 metres from the crime scene. In an attempt to evade detection, they allegedly dug a hole in the bushes and buried the bag containing the jewellery before dispersing. Between 4.40 pm and 5.15 pm, the group completed their task and left the area.
Later that night, around 8.30 pm, three of the accused returned to the site to retrieve the loot. However, despite searching for hours, they were unable to locate the bag. The jewellery had mysteriously disappeared.
During interrogation, the trio narrated the same sequence of events, though investigators remain sceptical. A police search team was dispatched with JCB machines to excavate the area, but no valuables were found.
Superintendent of Ahmedabad Rural Police, Om Prakash Jat said, “We do not completely believe the story spun by the accused, but we cannot dismiss it either. We are investigating all possibilities. To verify their claims, all four accused have undergone narco-analysis tests. The results will confirm whether their version of events is truthful or a fabrication.”
Did someone witness the hiding of the jewels?
If the accused are indeed telling the truth, police suspect that some unknown individual might have seen them hiding the bag and later stolen it. Since the area is on the city’s outskirts, there are no CCTV cameras nearby to confirm their claims. However, investigators have retrieved footage showing the accused heading towards the spot after the robbery and later leaving the area. Unfortunately, multiple people were seen moving in the vicinity, making it difficult to track a possible suspect.
Background of the heist
The robbery of jewellery occurred in broad daylight around 3.45 pm on January 2, when four masked robbers stormed the Kanakpura Jewellers on Gymkhana Road. Holding the shop owner, Bharat Soni, and staff at gunpoint, they swiftly looted gold, silver, and other valuables before escaping on a stolen motorcycle. The vehicle was later abandoned approximately one kilometre from the crime scene.
Extensive police investigations led to the identification and arrest of the accused in Uttar Pradesh, following a meticulous analysis of over 300 CCTV cameras and mobile tracking. The suspects—Birendrakumar Chandrapal Khatik, Javed alias Patri, Amarsingh Madhavsingh, and Jotsingh Mewaram—were all apprehended, but the stolen jewellery remains unaccounted for.
Mastermind behind the robbery
Police revealed that Birendrakumar Khatik, the mastermind, had prior knowledge of Ahmedabad’s geography due to his work in the telecom sector. He, along with Javed and two security guards from Bopal, planned the heist over weeks, selecting Kanakpura Jewellers for its relatively isolated location. The gang carried out multiple reconnaissance visits before executing the robbery.