Gunfight between Bengal police, 7 robbers thwarts Rs 4 crore heist
PTC News Desk: Last week, a seven-member gang attempted to rob a jewellery store in Raniganj, West Bengal, of Rs 4 crore. However, the police officer's bravery prevented them from succeeding. Images taken by a closed-circuit television camera directly outside the store depict Sub-Inspector Meghnad Mondal engaging in gunfire with the bandits from behind an electrical pole.
Prior to the thieves fleeing and leaving half of their loot behind, at least 20 shots were fired in the face-off, according to West Bengal police, whose account of the occurrence in thread on X is as dramatic as the visuals. While the others are being searched for, one of the accused has been taken into custody.
Seven masked thieves stormed into the well-known jewellery store on Sunday afternoon, armed with rifles, machine guns, and handguns. Both the customers and the shop owners were terrified by the shocking entry. The jewels were valued at more than Rs 4 crore, and the thieves had them cornered in minutes.
If not for a coincidence, their escape would have been rather easy. Officer-in-charge of a police outpost, Mr. Mondal, was in the neighbourhood on personal business. Despite wearing simple clothing, he had his military revolver with him. The policeman smelled a rat, saw individuals in the neighbourhood looking terrified, and saw frantic movements close to the jewellery store.
স্রেফ একটি বিদ্যুতের খুঁটিকে 'মেঘ' বানিয়ে তার আড়াল থেকে আগাগোড়া লড়ে গেছেন বাস্তবের 'মেঘনাদ', জীবনের বিন্দুমাত্র তোয়াক্কা না করেই। রোমহর্ষক সেই কাহিনি শুনতে চাওয়ার অসংখ্য অনুরোধ আসছে পরিচিতদের কাছ থেকে, আর মেঘনাদ এড়িয়ে যাচ্ছেন অল্প হেসে। ..(১৫/১৬) pic.twitter.com/EyE290gyNW — West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) June 11, 2024
Mr. Mondal unlocked his handgun and positioned himself behind an electric pole close to the store. At this point, one of the robbers standing watch outside the store noticed him, called the others to attention, and started shooting. The policeman fired back and took cover behind the pole for the next thirty or so seconds, braving a barrage of gunfire from the criminals. A robber was wounded by one of his rounds and fell to the ground hurt. The other robbers had now entered the fray.
Mr. Mondal retaliated bravely to the robbers' gunfire by standing his position. The lone officer's boldness overcame the criminals, and they made the decision to run. After assisting their wounded partner into a bike, they rode off with roughly Rs 1.8 crore worth of jewellery. They left behind 42 rounds of fire, two backpacks, over 2.5 crore rupees worth of jewels, and one of their bikes in their hurry.
However, the policeman was not about to give up and began chasing the robbers as they fled while they continued to fire. Mr. Mondal alerted nearby police officers when he realized he couldn't keep up with the two-wheelers. Additionally, Jharkhand, a neighboring state, received a notice.
Meanwhile, the thieves opened fire on the driver of a car before taking control of it. The firing resulted in injuries to both the driver and a pedestrian. By this point, the Jharkhand police had acted, seized the car, and arrested one of the defendants, Suraj Singh. Police found Sonu Singh, the robber hurt in the gunfight with Mr. Mondal, after conducting more investigation. Yesterday, he was taken into custody from Siwan, Bihar. Bengal police say they have the two offenders under custody and are questioning them; they will find the others shortly. The police have promised that the treasure will also be found.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mondal is not burdened with much weight for his valiant achievement. His bike has a gunshot hole in it, and his service revolver is empty now. He became famous overnight in the little town due to media reports, but when people ask him to tell the story, all he says is a smile or a brief phrase like "I just did my duty."
- With inputs from agencies
