Man shot dead, jewellery taken away

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 21. A 45-year-old jeweller was shot dead and a bag containing ornaments was taken away around 9 p.m. on Saturday on Wheeler's Road in Frazer Town Police Station limits. He was shot at with a 12-bore shotgun from point-blank range. This is the second murder in as many days in the City. On Friday, owner of a medical shop was murdered in Basavanagudi.

According to eye-witnesses, Mr. Sumeer Chand Surana, was shot at near the gate of his house by a three member gang. Two of the assailants came on a two-wheeler while the third was waiting near the gate. As he approached his house, the man standing near the gate tried to snatch the bag, containing jewellery. When Mr. Surana resisted, the pillion rider shot at him twice. While one bullet pierced Mr. Surana's chest, the other hit him on the face.

As Mr. Surana collapsed, the man standing near the gate snatched the bag and the three escaped on a two-wheeler. Power failure soon after the shots were fired helped the assailants.

Mr. Surana used to close shop around 8.30 p.m., according to neighbours. His brother, Mr. Sunil, who was also coming to the house, a little distance away when the victim was shot at.

As the gun shots were heard, Mr. Raghunath, an employee of a medical store owned by the family, arrived on the scene. Meanwhile, Mr. Ganesh, a neighbour of Mr. Surana, who initially thought some crackers were being burst, found Mr. Surana in a pool of blood with Mr. Surana's wife, Ms. Vasantha, trying to revive him. Mr. Ganesh hired an autorickshaw and rushed Mr. Surana to Wockardt Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mr. Surana's jewellery shop is about 200 metres away from his house. Mr. B.N.Nagaraj, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said it seemed to have been a well-planned murder for gain. The culprits had, apparently, kept a watch on him and knew his daily routine. Mr. Surana brought expensive jewellery home after the day's business for stock-taking.

The police have recovered two cartridges and a Rolex watch from the scene. A dog squad was pressed into service. Efforts were on to ascertain the value of the jewellery taken away by the culprits. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. T.Madiyal, visited the spot.

A woman from the neighbourhood said she saw three young men riding away a two-wheeler. The rider was wearing a blue shirt while one of the pillion riders was wearing a maroon shirt.

Young Sagar Surana was the messenger bearing the news of his father's death. Even as family members, friends, neighbours, police and onlookers were milling around the family's residence on Wheeler's Road, the class VI student from St. John's School came tearing down the road with a gut wrenching scream.

As he entered the house and found that his mother had not been told about the tragedy, the boy showed remarkable fortitude for one so young.

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