An Indian Air Force officer arrested for robbery in Ahmedabad has been accused of carrying out an armed jewellery heist worth more than Rs151 million, police in Gujarat said.
Police in Gujarat arrested 31-year-old Indian Air Force corporal Deepak Bhokar in connection with an armed robbery at a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad. He was arrested in Delhi, where he was serving at an Indian Air Force unit.
According to investigators, the robbery took place on July 16, 2024, in Ahmedabad’s Manek Chowk area. Police said the suspect entered the jewellery shop in the afternoon wearing a face covering and a red cap. He allegedly escaped with jewellery worth Rs151 million and shot the shop owner in the knee when he tried to resist.
Investigators said the suspect left Ahmedabad immediately after the robbery and managed to evade arrest for nearly two years. On Friday, a court in Ahmedabad remanded him to police custody for eight days.
Senior police officer Rupal Solanki said the investigation took a major turn when authorities learned that a service revolver stolen from the home of a retired Indian Air Force officer in Jamnagar had been used in the robbery.
Special teams comprising the Local Crime Branch and Khadia police reopened the theft case in Jamnagar. A comparison of CCTV footage from both cases helped investigators identify the suspect.
Police found that the accused was posted at the Jamnagar Air Force unit at the time of the incidents and was later transferred to Delhi.
An Ahmedabad police team travelled to Delhi and arrested him. Officers also recovered the service revolver and ammunition allegedly used in the robbery from his barracks.
Police said the suspect was skilled in using technology and used fake Aadhaar cards and multiple mobile numbers to avoid detection. He also stayed in hotels under false identities and wrapped tape around his fingers to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Authorities said his military training gave him advanced firearms skills. Investigators further revealed that he changed clothes several times and used six to seven auto-rickshaws while fleeing the crime scene.
Police also disclosed that the suspect had previously been arrested in a liquor law violation case in Jamnagar.
Officials said the arrest has helped solve both the Jamnagar house theft case and the Ahmedabad jewellery shop robbery.