Hyderabad: The sensational PMJ Jewellery heist in Karimnagar last month unravelled not only during the police probe but also within the gang itself, with alleged mastermind Subodh Singh alias ‘Gold Thief’ reportedly slashing payments to his shooters after the robbery yielded only a fraction of the gold he had expected.Instead of the promised ₹5 lakh each, the shooters were paid just ₹1 lakh apiece after the gang managed to escape with only 1.61 kg of gold against a target of nearly 15 kg. The May 3 heist was allegedly orchestrated by Subodh from inside Purnea Central Jail in Bihar.According to sources, Amar Singh, who handles Subodh’s payout network, was tasked with disbursing the money. “Originally, payment was supposed to be made in Patna to three among the five shooters. Before the payment was done, Ravish Kumar was caught in Patna. So, Amar Singh decided to pay Rs 1 lakh to the remaining two shooters in Asansol, where he could meet only Raghunath Karmakar, who received the payment for the robbery,” sources involved in the investigation told TOI.The shortfall in loot stemmed from resistance put up by PMJ showroom staff during the robbery, forcing the gang to flee with far less gold than planned. Police recovered ₹50,000 from Raghunath, who had already spent part of the money on two mobile phones.Investigators say Subodh masterminded the entire operation while lodged in jail, accessing a mobile phone and issuing instructions through the encrypted Signal app. Gang members were required to report to him three times a day and confirm they had evaded arrest. All but one shooter complied; the whereabouts of the dissenter remain unknown.“It was Subodh who planned and instructed the robbery by accessing phone in jail. He, however, was denying having any role in Karimnagar heist by trying to pass the blame on a person, who became renegade,” sources said.The robbery took place when a five-member armed gang entered the PMJ Jewellery showroom at Jyothinagar posing as customers. The assailants opened fire, injuring four employees, before fleeing with gold and silver ornaments.Police have since brought Subodh to Telangana on a transit warrant for intensive interrogation. Investigators say his gang has carried out sophisticated robberies across Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttarakhand, making the Karimnagar strike its first known operation in Telangana.So far, six of the 13 accused identified in the case have been arrested, including Ravish and Raghunath. Police have recovered two firearms, while four more weapons remain untraced and seven accused are still absconding.
