HYDERABAD: Armed dacoits took away gold ornaments weighing 1.5 kgs and Rs. 8,000 in cash from a jewellery shop at Gaddiannaram crossroads in Malakpet during daytime on Friday.

Two unidentified persons in their late 20s entered Vikas jewellers and gold loans shop at around 3.30 p.m. asking its owner Sujit Jain and salesman Krishnam Raju for gold rings. "I turned towards the showcase when one of them jumped over the desk and held a pistol to my abdomen," Jain told detectives. Simultaneously, the second person whipped out a long knife and lunged at Raju, threatening him to kill if he raised his voice.

The dacoits took Mr. Jain and Raju into the strong room when four other associates walked in covering their faces with handkerchiefs. "They collected the entire jewellery from the shop and Rs. 8,000 from the counter in seven to eight minutes," Malakpet ACP Swami Narayan Pawar said.

Customer shooed away

While they were taking out jewellery, a customer came to the shop. The dacoits sent him away convincing him that the shop was closed for lunch. Later, they returned to the strong room, told their associates the job was finished and the six members sped away on motorcycles.

Before walking out, the gang threatened the shop owner with dire consequences if he raised an alarm. A few minutes after the gang left, Mr. Jain rushed to the police station. CLUES team and sniffer dog squads were rushed to the crime scene.

Though there were a lot of silver articles in the shop, the gang did not touch them. Police Commissioner A.K. Mohanty and senior police officials visited the spot.

Ironically, Mr. Mohanty was explaining at a press meet about special teams formed to check offenders during the Ganesh festival even as the dacoits were looting the shop.

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