Patna, Apr 1 (PTI) Investigations by the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar Police into the loot of jewellery showrooms in three districts of the state have revealed that the conspiracy to commit the crime was hatched by two gangsters lodged in West Bengal's Purulia jail, an official said on Tuesday.

The STF has initiated the process to bring both the accused Sheru Singh alias Omkar Nath Singh and Chandan alias Prince to Bihar for detailed custodial interrogation, the official said.

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Investigations have revealed that both Singh and Chandan are the kingpins of the gang involved in recent incidents of loot at jewellery showrooms in Bhojpur, Patna and Purnea districts, said Additional Director General of Police of Special Task Force (STF) Kundan Krishnan.

Police have so far arrested 17 gang members, involved in recent cases of loot at jewellery showrooms, from different cities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, three more associates were arrested following encounters with the police in Bihar's Araria and Saran districts.

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However, one accused Chunmun Jha succumbed to his injuries on March 22.

All arrested gang members were wanted in connection with robbery at jewellery showrooms in Ara (Bhojpur) on March 10, Danapur (31 January) and Purnea in the month of July 2024.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, the ADG STF said, "Investigations have revealed that the conspiracy to loot jewellery showrooms in Bihar's three districts was hatched by Sheru Singh and Chandan in the Purulia prison. During the investigation, a team of STF officials visited their cells in the Purulia jail and recovered a mobile phone and other electronic devices from the possession of Chandan".

The process has been initiated to bring them here for detailed interrogation as several cases have been registered against them in Bihar, he said, adding both are operating an inter-state gang.

Police have so far recovered 2.5 kg gold, three country-made pistols, one rifle, seven live cartridges from the possession of the arrested accused.

"Majority of the arrested accused are habitual offenders. Police will soon initiate the process to attach their properties as per the existing law," he said.

"It has also been found that the gang recruit unemployed youths mostly from Bhojpur, Vaishali and Samastipur. We urge the parents to remain vigilant about the activities of their young children", the officer added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)