Criminals posing as GST and police officers entered a jewellery shop at Nithyananda Nagar in Palasa-Kasibugga town of Srikakulam district on Tuesday and looted over 800 grams of gold ornaments after handcuffing the owner and threatening staff at gunpoint.
The incident occurred around 12.30 pm at Sri Venkateswara Jewellers, a shop that has been operating in the area for over a decade. According to the shop owner, K Ramakrishna, six to eight persons wearing masks, sunglasses and caps entered the shop claiming to be officials from the GST and police departments conducting a search.
“They did not give us any chance to question them. They immediately handcuffed me, threatened my staff with a gun, collected gold ornaments and fled from the spot on bikes,” Ramakrishna said.
Realising that the visitors were impostors, Ramakrishna informed the Kasibugga police about the broad-daylight robbery.
A police team led by ASP Srinivasa Rao and inspector Ramakrishna, along with a clues team, visited the scene and collected evidence. CCTV footage from outside the shop reportedly showed some members of the gang fleeing the spot wearing face masks, sunglasses and caps.
Though police intensified vehicle checks at strategic locations in and around the Palasa region, no leads have been found so far. Special teams have been formed, and CCTV footage at multiple locations is being examined to crack the case. Police suspect the involvement of an inter-state gang.
Source from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/fake-gst-police-officers-loot-800-gm-gold-in-srikakulam-district/articleshowprint/130094666.cms
