Cab driver uses toy gun to rob jeweller, held

MUMBAI: The Nalasopara police arrested a 25-year-old man on Sunday for looting a jeweller using a toy gun.

Identified as Kamlesh Ramanand Gupta, an aggregator cab driver and a resident of Diva in Thane district, the accused allegedly stole jewellery worth ₹10 lakh from Naclace jewellery store in Nalapospara on November 26 using a toy gun.

According to the police, on November 24, Gupta, who has three robbery cases already registered against him, had dropped off a passenger in Nalasopara. He had then studied the area and zeroed in on Naclace Jewellers as his target.

“Gupta’s debts ran into lakhs of rupees. This is what motivated him to rob a jewellery store with little or no surveillance,” said a police officer from Nalasopara police station.

The police officer added that after he purchased a toy gun from a store, he entered the jewellery store and introduced himself as an acquaintance of one of his customers. He then asked the store owner, Sureshkumar

Dhakad, to show some silver ornaments and purchased a few silver coins.

He pretended to leave after his purchase, but then told Dhakad that his wife was on her way and she wanted to buy some gold earrings for their anniversary. A few minutes later Gupta entered the shop again and placed his backpack on the counter. Dhakad asked him to put the bag down this is when he removed a ‘gun’ from his bag and pointed it towards the owner.

The police officers said that Dhakad saw the gun and lunged at Gupta and the two then engaged in a scuffle. Passers-by assumed they were in a fight and separated the two while

Gupta fled with gold worth ₹10 lakhs.

After the complaint was registered, the police scanned CCTV footages right up to Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway. They noticed that the Gupta had gotten into a cab to flee from the spot. After obtaining details of the cab, the police reached Diva where Gupta stayed.

“He had registered a wrong address with the cab aggregator company. However, with the help of locals we located his address and reached his building and arrested him,” said the officer.

Gupta’s debts ran into lakhs. This is what motivated him to rob a jewellery store POLICE OFFICER, Nalasopara police station