Two assailants strike it rich on Akshaya Tritiya

BANGALORE: He was hoping for a good business on the eve of Akshaya Trithiya. But gold merchant Prakash Gadke, owner of Chandrasena Silvery Refinery at Makkalappa Layout in Nagarthpet near Ulsoorgate police station, had not bargained for a couple of robbers counting on the same.
The two robbers donning helmets barged into the store and attacked Prakash with lethal weapons, before fleeing away with Rs 12 lakh cash kept at the counter.The incident took place around 8pm on Monday. Prakash had just returned to his store after collecting Rs 7 lakh from a jeweller . There was Rs 5 lakh cash at the store.
After entering the store, Prakash began counting the money. There was nobody besides him in the shop at that time. Two men sporting full helmets walked into the shop on the pretext of asking for an address. Before Prakash could realize what was happening , one of them threw chilli powder at his face. One person hit Prakash on the neck and face with a blunt object , while the other took the cash and the duo fled.
“I blacked out for a few seconds. The chilli powder blinded me and those blows left me in severe pain. By the time I could regain my senses, the money was gone. I called the police immediately and they took me to a hospital ,” said Prakash.
Ulsoorgate police said that the robbers might have stalked Prakash from the jeweller’s place where he collected the money. Police are yet to ascertain whether the duo arrived on any vehicle.
“We are looking into all possible leads. As of now it looks like a professional job. They might have seen Prakash taking money from the shop. The angle we are exploring is if someone who knew about Prakash’s transactions or someone close to him is involved in the crime. Although Prakash doesn’t suspect anyone, we cannot rule out that angle,” said an investigating officer.
Forensic experts visited the spot and collected evidence . Police said that in spite of the large stock of ornaments and huge sum of money kept in the store, no CCTV cameras had been installed . “Although they might have worn helmets, CCTV footage would have certainly provided some leads,” the officer said.