Surat Jeweller Shot Dead Resisting Armed Robbery 

Surat, Gujarat – In a horrifying incident caught live on CCTV, a jeweller in Surat’s Sachin area was shot dead while bravely trying to stop a group of armed robbers at his store. The deceased, Ashish Rajpara, owner of Shrinathji Jewellers, was fatally shot while confronting the assailants who stormed into his shop around 9 PM on July 7.

According to Surat police reports, four armed men entered the jewellery store and opened fire, looting a bag full of ornaments. Rajpara, who was in a nearby shop monitoring the store via CCTV on his laptop, rushed to the scene to intervene. He was shot twice and succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

“He saw the robbery live on his laptop and ran out without hesitation to protect his store and people. His bravery cost him his life,” said a close associate of the Rajpara family.

The city is reeling from shock after video footage of the crime surfaced online, showing the chaos, gunfire, and Rajpara’s final moments.

One robber was caught and brutally beaten by a group of locals before being handed over to the police. Identified as Deepak Paswan, he is currently in hospital under police custody. A vegetable truck driver, Nazim Sheikh, was also injured after being shot in the leg during the commotion.

Eyewitness Rahul, who owns a neighbouring jewellery store, described the scene:

“We saw the robbers outside. One had a revolver. When Ashish was shot, I rushed inside and pulled my shutter down. There were four attackers, but it was so chaotic, we couldn’t fully grasp what was happening.”

Police have since formed five teams to track down the remaining three robbers. Investigators believe the gang had local support. A man working in a slipper factory at Hojiwala Estate, Sachin, allegedly gave the robbers a tip-off and shelter. The suspects had reportedly arrived from Bihar just two days before the crime.

ACP Nirav Gohil said, “We’ve made significant progress in identifying the culprits and those who supported them. The incident occurred in the busy CV Market area, and we’re analyzing all CCTV footage and local intelligence.”

Adding to the heartbreak, Ashish Rajpara’s parents — Maheshbhai and Dakshaben — were vacationing in London when they received the devastating news. The family, originally from Bilkha village in Junagadh, rushed back to Surat for the funeral.

Ashish ran three jewellery stores in the CV Market, including the one attacked. The looted bag of ornaments was later found abandoned outside the store, indicating the robbers fled in haste after facing resistance from locals.