2 jewellery stores looted in Bengal, dacoits held after gunfight with police

Kolkata, Aug 30 (PTI) Four dacoits were arrested for allegedly robbing a jewellery store in West Bengal's Nadia district following a gunfight with the police, officials said.

Two stores of a well-known jewellery retail chain were robbed almost simultaneously at Nadia's Ranaghat and Purulia district's Namopara, about 300 km apart, on Tuesday afternoon, they said.

As the robbery was underway at the Ranaghat store, police reached the spot, and soon a gunfight broke out with the dacoits, leading to tension in the area. In the exchange of fire, a policeman was also injured, they added.

Four dacoits were arrested, but the rest managed to flee, police said.

"A major chunk of the robbed jewellery was recovered from them. A search is on for the other members of the gang. Hopefully, we will arrest them soon," a police officer of Ranaghat said.

In Purulia, a gang of eight people robbed the jewellery store. It is estimated that gold and diamonds worth Rs 7 crore were robbed by them, police said.

It is suspected that a trans-border gang was involved in the robbery, they said.

Jewellers usually stock up ahead of the festive season, which sees a surge in demand.

Attacking the TMC government over the twin robberies, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh claimed that the incidents showed that "law and order has broken down in the state". PTI SCH RG SOM