RAIPUR: On a tip-off, the Chhattisgarh police in Kawardha, about 100 km from Raipur, seized 6.5 kg gold ornaments from an inter-state burglar who allegedly robbed a jewellery shop at Vijaynagram.
Kawardha police, while updating the list of identified criminals, particularly about the members of the inter-state criminal gang, got the inputs about Lokesh Srivas missing from the district and his activities looked suspicious.
While accumulating the information about Srivas, the police officials of the district had put him on their surveillance radar to gather intelligence inputs about his recent activities. On Thursday, the police got the vital inputs about Srivas having arrived in Kawardha city after staying away for a long duration and was seen mysteriously moving with luggage.
“We raided his place and seized a bag carrying a huge quantity of ornaments. During interrogation, he revealed that he had acquired the gold items in a robbery of a jewellery shop at Vijaynagram district of Andhra Pradesh. The cost of gold ornaments is believed to be over Rs 3.5 crore”, said Lal Umed Singh, Kawardha superintendent of police.
Srivas, according to the police, is a habitual criminal and was some years ago exiled from the Kawardha district. Lokesh was planning to start a business of beauty parlour in Kawardha.
He has been arrested under the IPC Section 379 (punishment for theft) and remanded to judicial custody, the officer said.
The Durg inspector general of police O P Pal has announced a cash reward of Rs 30000 for the police team for their success in nabbing the inter-state burglar.