Sub-inspector Meghnad Mondal (purple circle) exchanged hearth with the 7-member gang
Kolkata:
A police officer’s bravery helped foil a Rs 4-crore theft try by a seven-member gang at a jewelry store in West Bengal’s Raniganj final week. Visuals captured by a CCTV digital camera proper outdoors the store present Sub-Inspector Meghnad Mondal exchanging hearth with the robbers from behind an electrical pole. West Bengal police, whose narration of the incident in thread on X is as dramatic because the visuals, have mentioned a minimum of 20 rounds have been fired within the face-off earlier than the robbers took flight leaving half their loot behind. One of many accused has been arrested and a search is on for the others.
The incident passed off on Sunday afternoon when seven masked robbers, armed with pistols, a machine gun and a rifle barged into the outstanding jewelry store. The stunning entry left the shopowners and clients petrified. In a matter of minutes, the robbers had cornered ornaments value over Rs 4 crore.
Their escape would have been straightforward if not for a coincidence. Mr Mondal, officer-in-charge of a police outpost, was within the neighbourhood for some private work. He was in plain garments, however was carrying his service revolver. The police officer observed frenetic actions close to the jewelry store, the frightened faces of the folks within the space and smelled a rat.
Mr Mondal took place behind an electrical pole subsequent to the store and unlocked his revolver. Round this time, one of many robbers, who was protecting guard outdoors the store, noticed him, alerted the others and opened hearth. For the following 30-odd seconds, the police officer braved a volley of bullets from the robbers, firing again and taking cowl behind the pole. Certainly one of his bullets hit a robber and he collapsed to the bottom, injured. By now, the opposite robbers joined the capturing.
Mr Mondal held his floor, fearlessly returning the robbers’ hearth. The criminals, overwhelmed by the lone officer’s bravado, determined to flee. They helped their injured associate get on a motorcycle and rode away with about jewelry value Rs 1.8 crore. Of their haste, they left behind certainly one of their bikes, almost 2.5 crore rupees value of ornaments, two backpacks and 42 rounds of fireside.
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However the police officer was in no temper to surrender and began operating after the fleeing robbers because the criminals maintain firing. When Mr Mondal realised he cannot meet up with the two-wheelers, he knowledgeable police personnel within the neighborhood. An alert was despatched out to neighbouring Jharkhand too.
The robbers, in the meantime, fired at a automobile’s driver and hijacked the automobile. The driving force and a pedestrian suffered accidents within the firing. By now, Jharkhand police had moved into motion and managed to grab the automobile and take Suraj Singh, one of many accused, in custody. Additional probe led police to Sonu Singh, the robber injured within the trade of fireside with Mr Mondal. He was arrested from Bihar’s Siwan yesterday. In keeping with Bengal police, they’re questioning the 2 accused in custody and can monitor down the others quickly. The loot may even be recovered, the cops have assured.
Mr Mondal, in the meantime, is carrying the heroic feat flippantly on his shoulders. His service revolver is now empty and his bike has a bullet gap. Media reviews have catapulted him to in a single day fame within the small metropolis, however when persons are asking him to relate the story, his reply is a smile, or a brief sentence: “I simply did my responsibility.”