NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL ‘BABA’ ARRESTED FROM VAISHALI

NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL ‘BABA’ ARRESTED FROM VAISHALI

21-MARCH-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------Baba alias Saurabh Tiwari, a notorious criminal from Vaishali, has been arrested by the police in connection with the Tanishq jewelry showroom robbery case. He was apprehended in Ranchi, Jharkhand, during a joint operation conducted by the Bihar STF (Special Task Force) and the Bhojpur Police team. Known in the criminal underworld as 'Baba,' Saurabh Tiwari hails from Bithauli Aniruddh village within the Bhagwanpur police station area of ​​Vaishali district.

He was directly involved in the robbery incident and was also captured in CCTV footage. According to the police, he was the last person to enter the showroom and, following the robbery, was the last to exit, carrying a bag filled with jewelry. He made his escape on a motorcycle while wearing a helmet. Baba, alias Saurabh Tiwari, is a notorious gold robber. In addition to the robbery at the Jeeva Jewelry Shop in Danapur, Patna, the police were also searching for him in connection with gold robberies committed in Rajasthan.

This information was disclosed by Ara Sadar SDPO (Sub-Divisional Police Officer) Van Raj Kumar Sah during a press conference held on Friday. He stated that Baba, alias Saurabh Tiwari—a resident of Vaishali—was indeed involved in the Tanishq jewelry robbery case. He was the last to enter the showroom and the last to leave with the bag. He was also involved in the conspiracy behind the robbery and is considered one of its masterminds. Police had been searching for him for a considerable period under the direction of the Superintendent of Police, with the STF also actively engaged in the hunt.

Meanwhile, acting on intelligence received on Thursday, a joint operation by the STF and the Bhojpur Police led to his apprehension in Ranchi. The SDPO further informed that, so far, 26 criminals have been arrested in connection with this case. Two criminals have been killed in police encounters, while the search continues for one identified and two unidentified criminals. The raiding team included Nagar Police Station SHO (Station House Officer) Devraj Rai, along with other police personnel from the station.

It is worth recalling that on the morning of March 10 last year—at approximately 10:30 AM—criminals stormed the Tanishq jewelry showroom located near Sheeshmahal Chowk in the city's bustling Nagar police station area, looting jewelry worth approximately ₹10 crore. The licensed rifle belonging to the showroom's security guard was also snatched away.

However, within just a few hours, two criminals from Saran were arrested following a police encounter near the Babura Chhoti Bridge in the Barhara police station area. Two bags containing the looted jewelry were recovered from the criminals, who had sustained injuries from gunfire during the encounter. Acting on the information provided by the arrested criminals, the rifle that had been snatched from the guard was also recovered. During interrogation, the arrested criminals confessed to having carried out the robbery at the behest of Chandan Kumar alias Prince—a native of Vaishali who is currently incarcerated in a West Bengal jail.