Botched robbery ends in high-stakes police standoff
Chittoor: A daring robbery attempt at a businessman’s residence in Chittoor took a dramatic turn on Wednesday morning when the swift response of the police thwarted the criminals’ plan after an intense three-hour standoff.
The botched heist, which unfolded on DI Road near an IDBI Bank branch, resulted in the arrest of five suspects, while two others remain at large. Law enforcement officials also confiscated two firearms and rubber bullets from the accused.
According to investigators, the seven-member gang — allegedly led by a local trader — target-ed a children’s store owned by businessman Chandra Sekhar.
Arriving in a Maruti Omni van displaying a ‘Press’ sticker to avoid suspicion, the gang attempt-ed to break into the store, which occupies the first two floors of a building where Chandra Sek-har and his family reside on the third floor.
The situation escalated when Chandra Sekhar noticed the unusual activity and promptly alerted the urban police. Before officers arrived, the assailants confronted him at gunpoint, firing two rounds, one in the air and another that struck his head with a rubber bullet as he struggled to escape.
The robbers then retreated into the store, seeking cover behind shelves of merchandise as the police closed in.
V N Manikanta Chandolu led the operation, with one suspect at-tempting to flee by leaping from the first floor to a neighbouring building. Misjudging the jump, he fell to the ground and sustained injuries.
A coordinated effort between the police and vigilant locals resulted in the capture of three more suspects, while the remaining three, including the getaway driver, managed to evade immediate arrest, prompting an extensive manhunt.
With uncertainty surrounding the authenticity of the gang’s firearms, SP Manikanta Chandolu called for reinforcements from the elite Octopus special operations team stationed in Tiruma-la. However, before their arrival, the Chittoor police had already regained control of the situa-tion.
One of the absconding suspects was later caught during a vehicle check near Mula-kalacheruvu. Authorities have since seized the minivan used by the suspects, along with the confiscated weapons, which are undergoing forensic examination.
The five arrested individuals are now being interrogated at I Town police station, while Chandra Sekhar is receiving medical treat-ment for his injuries at the district hospital. Preliminary findings indicate that the gang comprised individuals from Chittoor town, Anantapur, and Nandyal district.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fugitives and unravel the full scope of the criminal plot.
