AZAMGARH, September 19: A jewellery shop owner and local traders in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district chased and caught two alleged looters even after the suspects opened fire in an attempt to escape. Police said no one was injured in the firing, and the two men were later taken into custody.
Duo Allegedly Fled With Gold Chain
The incident took place on Thursday evening at Raj Jewellers in Manjhari Bazaar, under Tehbarpur police station limits.
According to police, the two men entered the shop posing as customers and selected an eight-gram gold chain worth around ₹1.1 lakh. They allegedly asked the jeweller for a QR code to make payment.
Police said no payment was actually credited to the shopkeeper’s account, after which the duo allegedly fled with the chain.
Shopkeeper Raises Alarm and Starts Chase
After realising that the payment had not gone through, the jeweller ran out of the shop and began chasing the suspects while raising an alarm.
Local traders and residents quickly joined the pursuit as the two men tried to escape from the market area.
Suspects Open Fire at Pursuing Crowd
As the pursuing group began closing in, the suspects allegedly opened fire in an attempt to frighten them and stop the chase.
Despite the gunfire, the traders and villagers continued pursuing the men. Police said no one was injured in the firing.
The two suspects were eventually caught in Bairampur village.
Police Rescue Accused From Crowd
Police said the two men were assaulted by an angry crowd after being caught.
Tehbarpur Police reached the spot, rescued them from the mob and took them into custody before sending them to hospital for treatment.
Azamgarh Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Chirag Jain confirmed the arrests.
Weapons and Stolen Motorcycle Recovered
Police identified the accused as Chandresh Yadav and Prince Chauhan.
According to police, officers recovered:
- A stolen motorcycle
- Two pistols
- Two country-made firearms
- Three empty magazines
- Cartridges
- A chopper
- A screwdriver
- A file
The motorcycle had allegedly been stolen from the vehicle stand at the Azamgarh district court on August 31.
Police Probe Possible Links to Other Crimes
During questioning, one of the accused allegedly told police that the motorcycle had been used in earlier incidents of loot, theft and snatching.
Police also said the arrested men disclosed the names of alleged accomplices who managed to escape during the chase. Investigators are now trying to trace them.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act, and further investigation is underway.
The incident has drawn attention because local traders continued the pursuit despite alleged gunfire and helped police apprehend the two suspects.
source – Times of India / Azamgarh Police
Supreme News Network
