Tirupati: Three armed men broke into a gold shop in the small town of Papanayudupet in Tirupati district on Friday, brandishing knives and gun in an attempt to rob the store. However, thanks to the intervention of local residents, one of the thieves was apprehended at the scene while two others managed to flee.
The incident occurred in the evening at the shop of a local YSRC party leader. According to eyewitness reports, the three men arrived on a single motorcycle with no license plate and entered the store posing as customers. They then suddenly drew out knives and a gun, threatening the shop owner and attempting to empty the store's gold inventory into bags.
The shop owner's cries for help alerted neighbours, who rushed to the store. In the ensuing scuffle, the locals managed to restrain one of the robbers until police could arrive. The other two men with him managed to escape outside, speeding off on their motorcycle in an unknown direction.
Yerpedu and Gajulumandyam police reached the crime scene to take custody of the captured thief and launch a search effort for his escaped accomplices. The thief has not yet been identified, nor has the exact value of attempted gold theft been disclosed. An investigation is currently underway.
