Jewellery firm employee shot dead in Rajkot, gold & silver stolen: Police

Police and the others at the spot on Wednesday. (Express photo by Chirag Chotaliya)

A 51-YEAR-OLD man employed at a jewellery firm in Rajkot was shot dead on Wednesday evening, allegedly by four unidentified persons who pulled up in a car to the gate of the firm’s factory as the man was exiting the premises, carrying nearly 1 kg gold and 3 kg silver, police said on Wednesday. The suspects took the jewellery and fled in the vehicle, police said.

Police identified the victim as Lalji Sardhara, who was taken to a hospital by a witness at the spot and died during treatment. The incident took place on the premises of a factory of Tanvi Export India Ltd at Aji Industrial Estate in Rajkot around 7:55 pm on Wednesday.

Witnesses at the spot, including a co-worker of the victim, told The Indian Express later that they heard at least three shots being fired and saw him (Sardhara) slump to the ground as the four suspects fled the spot with the jewellery.

The Indian Express spoke to a witness who works at the same company and ferried Sardhara to hospital. The man said, “I was standing outside when kaka (uncle, referring to Sardhara) exited the factory gate and reached near his two-wheeler when four men reached the spot in a car and shot at him three times. Kaka collapsed… The men looted the jewellery and sped away in the car. I then took Kaka to Madhuram Hospital in my vehicle.”

Speaking to mediapersons after visiting the spot, Hetal Patel, DCP (Zone 1), said, “Sardhara was carrying around 900 grams of gold and around 3 kg silver. As soon as he reached his two-wheeler, three-four men pulled up in a car and tried to loot him. When he fought back, they fired three shots at him and fled with the jewellery.” She added that an FIR on murder charges would be registered at Thorala police station and several teams were deployed to nab the suspects in the case.