Jeweller shot at trying to thwart loot bid in Bilimora

Surat: A jeweller was shot at in Bilimora town of Navsari district after he resisted a daylight loot attempt at his shop on Tuesday. The incident occurred at Chanchal Jewellers in the Gauhar Baug area when two armed men entered the store with the intention of robbing it.According to police, the incident took place in the afternoon when the two robbers entered the shop brandishing a gun and threatened the owner, Ashok Katariya, asking him to hand over the valuables. However, Katariya confronted them, following which one of the looters fired at him. Katariya fainted after sustaining the bullet injury.The confrontation forced the accused to flee the spot as the attempt was made in broad daylight. A third accomplice was waiting for them in a hatchback car, and the trio escaped in the vehicle, which reportedly did not have a number plate.After the assailants fled, locals rushed Katariya to a private hospital for treatment and informed the police about the incident.Following the alert, police set up checkpoints across Navsari and neighbouring districts including Valsad and Surat Rural, and launched a combing operation to trace the suspects. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage from the jewellery shop and nearby areas, which captured the incident.Bilimora police along with the Navsari Local Crime Branch have launched an investigation to nab the accused.