Gangtok Police Launch Manhunt Following Calculated Robbery of Senior Citizen Near Denzong Hall

Gangtok Police Launch Manhunt Following Calculated Robbery of Senior Citizen Near Denzong Hall
Gangtok, Dec 19 : Gangtok Sadar Police have initiated a high-priority investigation following a brazen robbery targeting a 67-year-old resident near Denzong Cinema Hall on Tuesday evening. A masked assailant successfully made off with ₹1.8 lakh in cash and critical personal documents, leading authorities to suspect a coordinated criminal effort.
According to official police reports, the incident transpired on December 17 at approximately 4:50 PM. The victim, identified as Gopal Bahadur Chettri, was returning home after completing a substantial cash withdrawal from a local bank.
The perpetrator, whose identity remained concealed behind a mask, intercepted Mr. Chettri in a strategic maneuver, snatching a bag containing ₹1,80,000 cash, Bank Passbook and Chequebook and Personel Spec.
The assailant vanished into the dense evening pedestrian traffic immediately following the encounter, leaving the victim physically unharmed but significantly shaken.
In a formal statement provided to the Gangtok Sadar Police later that evening, Mr. Chettri raised concerns that the robbery was far from a random act of opportunity. He indicated a strong belief that the perpetrator possessed prior intelligence regarding his bank transaction.
Law enforcement officials are currently exploring the possibility of a "nexus"—a coordinated ring involving potential informants who may have tracked the victim from the bank to the site of the robbery.
The Sadar Police have formally registered a First Information Report (FIR) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The case is being pursued under Section 304: Pertaining to snatching and theft, Section 111(2)(b): Addressing organized or well-coordinated criminal activities.
"Our investigative units are meticulously analyzing CCTV footage from the bank's exit routes and multiple vantage points around Denzong Hall," confirmed a senior police official. "We are treating the possibility of premeditated coordination with high priority."
No arrests have been made. However, police are working closely with bank security and digital forensics to identify any suspicious individuals observed tailing the victim earlier in the day. Authorities have urged anyone with information or eyewitness accounts to come forward.
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