Dehradun: Reliance Jewellery showroom robbery mastermind sent to jail on 14-day remand

Shashank Singh alias Sonu Rajput, the alleged mastermind behind the robbery of more than Rs 20 crore at a Reliance Jewellery showroom here two months ago, was remanded to 14 days' judicial custody on Wednesday by a local court.

Shashank (25), arrested in Patna on January 6, was produced in a local court after being brought here, Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said.

He has been sent to 14 days' judicial remand, the SSP added.

Shashank is a resident of Bihar's Saharsa district. Eleven people have so far been been arrested in connection with the robbery.

Important information related to the robbery has been obtained from the accused during interrogation, the official said.

Shashank told the police that Subodh and he had planned the heist at the Reliance Jewellery Showroom in Dehradun and Prince Kumar, Akhilesh alias Abhishek, Vikram Kushwaha, Rahul and Avinash were sent to the city to carry out the daylight robbery on November 9 when Uttarakhand was celebrating its 23rd statehood day.

The incident took place on the city's busiest Rajpur Road when President Droupadi Murmu was in the capital to attend the State Foundation Day celebrations.

The police officer said Shashank has cases registered against him for many serious criminal incidents including robbery and dacoity in various states.

Shashank came into contact with Subodh Singh through his acquaintance and Subodh gang member Roshan Singh. Later, after the murder of Roshan Singh in 2015, Shashank became an active member of the Subodh Singh gang.

Shashank, along with Subodh Singh and other associates, had carried out the robbery of 28 kg of gold at Manappuram Gold Shop in Barrackpore, West Bengal in 2016 and 55 kg of gold at Muthoot Finance in Asansol, West Bengal in 2017.

In this incident, Shashank, Subodh Singh and his other associates were sent to jail.

While in jail, accused Shashank, Subodh and Rajeev Kumar Singh alias Pullu Singh alias Sardar had taken information about making virtual SIM from a hacker of Rajasthan.

All the incidents were planned from the jail by Shashank, Rajeev Kumar Singh alias Pullu Singh alias Sardar and Subodh and other members of the gang were contacted through virtual numbers.

Shashank said they had also planned a robbery in Mehsana, Gujarat, but on the basis of inputs provided by the Uttarakhand Police, Vikas Kumar, one of the two members of the gang, was arrested by the Gujarat Police and Doon Police teams before the incident and their plans were foiled.