KARIMNAGAR: Five armed miscreants struck at the PMJ Jewellery shop in the city around 11 am on Sunday, escaping with about 1 kg of gold ornaments and leaving four employees injured.
The shop, where the daylight robbery occurred, is located very close to the court complex and the office of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
According to police, a gang member entered the shop posing as a customer and asked the staff to show him a gold chain and a ring. Soon, four more walked in and pulled out pistols.
They forced the staff to kneel before proceeding to collect gold jewellery and pack it into backpacks.
The incident, which lasted about 10–15 minutes, created panic as the miscreants opened fire when employees tried to resist. Four staff members sustained injuries in the firing, with bullets hitting one of them in the head and another in the abdomen. The shop floor was splattered with bloodstains, indicating the brutality of the attack.
A woman employee who tried to hide in the washroom was dragged out and tied up with ropes by the robbers. Later, ropes and adhesive plasters used in the crime were found in a nearby drain.
Special Teams formed to nab robbers
CCTV footage captured the accused fleeing on bikes — one a black Pulsar and another a white Apache — through an opposite lane.
City Police Commissioner Gaush Alam visited the spot, interacted with the staff, and inspected the premises. Clues teams were pressed into action, and multiple police teams have been formed to track down the robbers. Two teams from the Hyderabad Task Force, comprising 20 personnel, have been sent to assist the Karimnagar police.
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar is also monitoring the case. Police said the gang members communicated in both Telugu and Hindi, and only one of the five miscreants wore a mask. Four bullet shells and one cartridge were recovered from the scene.
Following the incident, intensive checks were launched at hotels and lodges. Multi-Zone IGP S Chandrashekar Reddy also visited the crime scene and directed officials to expedite the investigation. Police released CCTV images of the suspects and announced a reward of `1 lakh for information on their whereabouts. People have been requested to contact the police on toll-free number 100 or at 8712670744 and 8712670745 if they spot the accused.
A high alert has been declared across the erstwhile Karimnagar district, and check posts have been set up to nab the culprits.
The incident occurred just hours after vehicle checking was conducted at 34 junctions across the city on Saturday night.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar visited the scene and later met the injured victims at hospitals.