HYDERABAD: A jewellery shop owner and another man who had brought some gold to the store were injured in a shooting when unidentified shoplifters opened fire and escaped with gold worth Rs 25 lakh from Mahadev Jewellers in Snehapuri Colony of Chaitanyapuri on Thursday.
According to the police, the two injured have been identified as the owner, Kalyan Chowdary, 42, and Sukaram, 23, who hails from Vanasthalipuram. Two unidentified thieves barged into the jewellery shop pretending to be customers. They downed the shutters and demanded gold while opening fire at Kalyan. Neighbouring shop owners were immediately alerted and they rushed to open the shutter.
Meanwhile, the duo escaped on a bike. It is suspected that they came from Vanasthalipuram. Police sources said that the thieves may be known to Sukaram or are previous offenders who plan their heists by following a victim who is carrying gold. The value of the stolen gold is approximately Rs 25 lakh.
Police are inquiring if the thieves were aware about the transaction and followed Sukaram to the jewellery shop. Shop owners nearby say that they heard three rounds of fire and when they opened the door, the duo ran away.
Onlookers try to catch thieves
Some of them even tried to catch the thieves and when they failed, they immediately alerted the police and called for an ambulance. The injured duo were shifted to Supraja Hospital. The condition of Sukaram is said to be critical.
Police examined the crime scene along with the Clues teams and retrieved three cartridge shells. They are also looking at the CCTV footage of the store and nearby premises to trace the escape route of the offenders.