Bihar-based duo arrested in Hunsur gold jewelry robbery; police recover valuables

Mysuru: In a significant breakthrough, the Mysuru police have arrested two suspects involved in the high-profile gold jewelry robbery at Hunsur. The notorious gang had avoided using mobile phones during the crime to evade detection, but officers successfully identified the accused using facial recognition technology.

Speaking at a press conference, District Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi said, “The Hunsur robbery was carried out by the notorious gang, and we have arrested two members so far. There are more than ten suspects, and investigations to trace the remaining individuals are ongoing.”

CCTV footage captured five individuals during the robbery, but the absence of mobile phone usage made tracking the suspects challenging. “Three of them were clearly visible in the footage. Using facial recognition technology, we traced them to Bihar.

Coordination with Bihar police led to the identification and subsequent arrest of Rishikesh Kumar Singh from Delhi and Pankaj from Bhagalpur,” he added. The arrests were executed by a special team led by ASP L. Nagesh, with Inspector Santosh Kashyap, D.M. Puneeth, and PSI Ajay Kumar coordinating with Bihar police.

Both accused have been presented before the local court, and following legal formalities, they have been taken into custody by the Mysuru police. Investigations revealed that Pankaj has been involved in 27 cases, while Rishikesh alias Chotu is linked to four murder and robbery cases.

The gang had previously targeted reputed gold jewelry stores, providing logistical support and coordinating from different states. Local residents were not involved in the crime. Police officials also disclosed that the gang had stayed in lodges in Hunsur and Piriapatna, using fake Aadhaar cards and mobile numbers.

During the robbery, they threatened staff at Sky Gold & Diamond, stealing approximately 8.34 kg of gold jewelry valued at around ₹10 crore. So far, authorities have recovered 12.5 grams of gold, ₹92,000 in cash, a branded Sky Gold box, and a Royal Enfield motorcycle used by the suspects.

Fifty officers had been deployed for two weeks in continuous searches to track the accused and recover the stolen items.

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