THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, November 26: In a rare and shocking case in Palamu, a tenant used a fibre pistol (toy pistol) to rob his own landlady after paying monthly rent for the same house.
The robbery took place post-lunch when the landlady was alone with her young son, and her mobile phone was also snatched, leaving no digital evidence of the daylight heist.
Police Crack Case, Recover Almost All Gold Items
The town police, led by officer-in-charge Jyoti Lal Rajwar, cracked the case and recovered nearly 100% of the robbed gold ornaments.
Police arrested the tenant along with four accomplices, including a minor.
SP Reeshma Ramesan presented the case in a press conference on Tuesday, November 25.
How the Robbery Happened
According to the SP, tenant Vishal Kumar, in his late twenties, along with four accomplices, robbed landlady Poonam Tiwary on November 18 at her Chechani Tola residence.
Poonam lives with her daughter and son, while her husband works at the state fire station in Ranchi.
On the day of the robbery, the daughter was at school.
The robbers held Poonam’s four-year-old son at “pistol” point using a fibre pistol to threaten her.
To keep her son safe, Poonam handed over:
- 2 gold mangal sutras
- 1 gold ring
- 2 gold chains
- 1 gold locket
Both mother and child were unharmed. The robbers then locked them inside a room and escaped with the ornaments and her mobile phone.
All five accused had their faces covered.
Main Accused Identified and Arrested
SP Ramesan said the investigation began with the arrest of Raj Kumar, a veteran criminal.
He was caught at his Bandua village home under Chainpur police station. Raj Kumar has seven cases across Palamu and Garhwa and is known for robbery and dacoity.
Based on his confession, police arrested the remaining four, including the minor.
All the accused belong to Banduwa village.
The adult accused are:
- Vishal Kumar (tenant)
- Sachin Kumar
- Roshan Kumar
The tenant Vishal had conspired with Raj Kumar, who then brought in the minor, Sachin and Roshan.
Fibre Pistol Bought Online
The SP added that the robbers did not use any country-made pistol.
Instead, they used a fibre pistol, a toy gun that looks like a real one.
This pistol was purchased online by Vishal.
Police could not recover Poonam’s mobile phone as the accused said they threw it somewhere and did not remember the location.
However, apart from all the gold ornaments, police recovered five other mobile phones and a bike.
SP Issues Warning About Tenants and Winter Burglaries
SP Ramesan urged residents to verify tenants’ details and inform police if any suspicious activity is observed.
She said landlords in smaller towns often do not report tenant details, leading to problems during incidents.
All five accused were arrested on Monday, November 24.
Four were sent to judicial custody on Tuesday, November 25, while the minor was sent to a juvenile justice institution.
The SP also explained why winter burglaries rise, noting that many burglars from UP and Bihar enter Jharkhand posing as outsiders, making them hard to trace.
She mentioned a case under Paton police station limits where a thief from UP was caught.
She also referred to a past case where a group pretending to be blanket sellers committed burglaries while others acted as cover.
