Four decamp with Rs 38-lakh jewellery

MUMBAI: In a brazen daylight robbery , gold orn a m e n t s worth Rs 38 lakh were stolen from a jeweller by four unidentified persons at Antop Hill on Sunday. The incident took place outside the gate of Indira Nagar Society when the victim Rajesh Karwad (35) and his cousin came out of a jewellery showroom and were walking towards their car. Police officials suspect that an insider must have passedon information about the jewellers ’ routine to robbers as they werewaiting outside the showroom to attack him.Investigating officer PSI D S Avhadof Antop Hill police station told TOI, “Rajesh is a wholesaler of goldjewellery and had visited a showroom in the area with his stock. At 6:15 pm,when he and his cousin Manish Jain (21) left the showroom, four unidentifiedpersons surrounded them and tried to snatch the jewellery bag.”Initially, they slapped Manish and he ran to a nearby lane. Theythen attacked Rajesh with iron rods and fled on bikes with the bag containing2.42 kilos of gold jewellery. As soon as the robbers left, Manishreturned and rushed a profusely bleeding Rajesh to the hospital. Rajesh hassuffered injuries on his head, neck as well on the hands and is currentlyrecuperating at a private hospital. In the statement given to thepolice, the victims informed that the robbers were in the 25-to-30 age group,dark and approximately six feet tall. Based on the description,investigators are in the process of making sketches of the accused. Besides,they are also checking records of offenders who have been involved in similarrobberies in the past as well. Police officials suspect that someoneworking with Rajesh or at the places where he supplied jewellery must havetipped off the robbers. They are questioning the people he was in regularcontact with, but have not got any specific leads yet. A case ofrobbery has been registered, but no arrests have been made so far in the case.