Aeronautical engineer among 3 held for Gujarat jewellery robbery bid

SURAT: An aeronautical engineer with a history of theft cases and an internship at ISRO is among three men arrested within hours of a robbery attempt at a jewellery shop in Navsari, where the owner was shot twice and injured.

The accused — led by 25-year-old Umang Vachhani, Rajnikant Makwana (39) and Manoj Survyavanshi (23), all residents of Valsad — were nabbed by teams of the Navsari Local Crime Branch (LCB), Special Operations Group (SOG), cybercrime unit and Bilimora police.

According to police, Vachhani and Makwana entered Chanchal Jewellers to carry out the robbery, while Survyavanshi waited in a car outside. The attempt was foiled when the owner, Ashok Katariya, resisted and raised an alarm. As they fled, Vachhani allegedly fired two rounds at Katariya, injuring him.

Navsari superintendent of police, Rahul Patel told TOI that investigators scanned nearly 300 CCTV cameras to trace the accused. The getaway car was eventually located in an industrial area of Chikhli, leading to their arrest in Valsad.

Police said the trio had tried to cover their tracks by removing the vehicle's number plate and abandoning it in a quarry. They changed clothes and footwear before reaching the main road and later used a rented vehicle to return home.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Vachhani had planned the robbery over the past two months and had conducted a recce of the shop with Makwana. He was also allegedly in possession of a firearm during this period. Police are probing the source of the weapon and the motive behind targeting the shop.

Vachhani, who holds a degree in aeronautical engineering from an Ahmedabad-based university, had previously been involved in multiple theft cases during his student years, officials said.

Vachhani was an intern at ISRO
According to sources, Vachhani completed his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Silver Oak University in Ahmedabad in 2022. He later interned at ISRO's Ahmedabad unit for seven months before joining a private aerospace firm at the end of 2023, where he worked for about a year. Police said Vachhani had a criminal background and was booked in 11 vehicle theft cases in Ahmedabad since 2023. These cases were registered at Satellite, Navrangpura, Ghatlodia, Vadaj, Gujarat University and Vastrapur police stations. He was subsequently detained under the PASA Act by the Ahmedabad police commissioner.

Robbery inspired by web-series
During preliminary investigation, police said Vachhani allegedly used his education and technical knowledge to plan the crime. He is believed to have drawn inspiration from web series and procured items such as a mask and gloves online to conceal his identity. Police said he was also involved in online gaming activities. Investigators are probing the exact motive behind the robbery attempt, as the accused has given varying statements. The jeweller is also being questioned to ascertain whether he had any prior acquaintance with Vachhani.


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