Siliguri: The Siliguri Police have arrested the alleged mastermind, his mother and an accomplice behind the recent daylight robbery case of a prominent jewellery shop on Hill Cart Road, Siliguri. The accused have been arrested from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
They have been identified as Sumit Kumar, the mastermind, his mother Kamlesh Devi and an associate, Shyam Singh. All three hail from the Kasganj area of Uttar Pradesh.
According to police sources, Sumit Kumar had meticulously planned the entire robbery after renting a house in Phansidewa area under Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP). He allegedly had handed over part of the stolen gold to his mother, Kamlesh Devi, who later attempted to sell the
gold in a shop. The breakthrough came after a sustained investigation and cooperation between the Siliguri and Uttar Pradesh police. A part of the stolen gold was recovered from them. The trio was apprehended and brought to Siliguri on Tuesday in transit remand after being produced in Aligarh court. The accused will be produced at Siliguri Court on Wednesday.
The robbery took place on June 22 when around seven miscreants posing as customers looted jewellery worth Rs 11 crore, with two suspects being nabbed on the same day. Another accused was later arrested in Bihar. With these latest arrests, police have taken a significant step in dismantling the inter-state gang believed to be behind the heist. However, four members of the gang still remain at large.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Crime Wing of Matigara Police Station arrested five members of an inter-state gang from Uttar Pradesh who were allegedly preparing for another criminal act in Siliguri.
Based on a tip-off, police conducted a late-night raid in the Kawakhali area and arrested Akhilesh Kumar, Anuj Kumar, Raghavendra Singh, Akash Kumar and Ansul Kumar, all residents of UP. A luxury car was seized during the operation from which officers recovered tools commonly used in break-ins, such as rods, screwdrivers and torches. Police suspect the five were plotting a major criminal operation in the city. They were produced before the Siliguri Court on Tuesday. Authorities have also confiscated their vehicle and initiated further investigation.
In light of the recent surge in organised crimes, including thefts, robberies and burglaries, the Siliguri Police have ramped up security measures.
C Sudhakar, the Commissioner of Police (CP), said: “We have increased our surveillance. We have already arrested gang members who basically belong to other states. Further investigation is ongoing.”