PMJ Robbery Gang Planned Heist For Over a Month, Stayed in Lodges Using Fake Aadhaar Cards Mastermind Identified

KARIMNAGAR: The armed gang that robbed PMJ Jewellers in Karimnagar on May 3 allegedly planned the heist for over a month by conducting reconnaissance operations and staying in lodges using fake identity cards, police sources said.

Investigators identified Shabuddin, a history-sheeter with a criminal background in Maharashtra, as the suspected mastermind of the five-member gang. Police said he was previously involved in a major case under the Borivli police station limits in Mumbai and had served time in Pune jail. With assistance from Maharashtra police, Telangana investigators confirmed his role in leading the gang. Police also identified Saurav Kumar, Anand and Imtiaz as key members of the group.

According to investigators, four gang members stayed at Parameshwara Lodge in Peddapalli on three occasions in the month preceding the robbery and allegedly used fake Aadhaar cards to book rooms. On May 1, they shifted to Vijaya Lakshmi Lodge in Dharmapuri in Jagtial district and stayed there until the morning of the robbery.

Police said the gang travelled to Karimnagar on two motorcycles and carried out the robbery before fleeing towards Dharmapuri.

Investigators suspect the gang received help from a local accomplice after witnesses and CCTV footage indicated that one of the accused spoke fluent Telugu during the operation. Police believe the suspect guided the inter-state gang through interior routes and helped identify escape paths.

After the robbery, the gang is believed to have abandoned one of the motorcycles near the Godavari riverbank and crossed the river on foot to avoid police checkpoints, taking advantage of low water levels during summer.

Police said the owner of one of the lodges, identified as Gundaiah, failed to collect proper KYC documents from all the guests. However, CCTV footage from the lodge reportedly provided clear visuals of the suspects.