Police in Rajkot, Gujarat have arrested 10 people in connection with the robbery and murder of a refinery manager, recovering stolen gold and silver worth ₹1.53 crore within hours of the crime, officials confirmed on Friday, 16 October 2026. The swift multi-state operation involved coordination with police forces in Rajasthan and spanned several districts before all suspects were apprehended.

How the Crime Unfolded

The attack occurred at approximately 8 pm on 14 October at the premises of Tanvi Export India Limited on Aji GIDC Main Road, opposite Bavishi Way Bridge, under the jurisdiction of Thorala police station. The victim, Lalajibhai Sardhara, manager of the firm, was preparing to ride his two-wheeler to the company's nearby showroom while carrying a bag containing refined gold bars weighing approximately 946 grams, valued at ₹1.489 crore, and roughly two kg of refined silver dust powder worth ₹4.3 lakh — a combined value of ₹1.532 crore.

Four men arrived at the scene in a car. Two of them stepped out and attempted to snatch the bag. When Sardhara and security guard Bavanji Padhiyar resisted, one of the assailants fired three rounds at the manager, seriously injuring him. The accused fled with the bag. Sardhara subsequently died from his injuries.

Multi-State Police Operation

Following the crime, teams from the city Crime Branch, Special Operations Group (SOG), Local Crime Branch (LCB), Zone 1, and Thorala police station were immediately deployed. Investigators examined CCTV footage and used technical surveillance to trace the vehicle allegedly used in the crime, which was found to have originated from outside Gujarat.

Rajkot police coordinated with their counterparts in Rajasthan and alerted forces across several districts. Acting on this intelligence, Rajasthan Police intercepted the car at Janapur Circle in Sirohi district, apprehending four men. Questioning revealed that two other accused had allegedly fled with the stolen property in a second vehicle.

That car was subsequently intercepted by police in the Badgaon area of Udaipur district through coordination via the police control room. Further investigation led to additional arrests from Samakhiyali in Kutch district, Gujarat. The person suspected of providing tip-off information about the movement of the valuables was arrested in Rajkot, bringing the total arrests to 10.

Recovered Property and Accused Profiles

Recovered items include the stolen gold bars and silver dust, two cars allegedly used in the crime, and eight mobile phones. The total value of seized property was estimated at ₹1,57,65,500, according to police.

The ten accused have been identified as Ashwinikumar alias Lankesh, Anuragsingh, Vishalsingh, Shivam Gupta, Vedant Kant alias Aman, Pawankumar, Arvind alias Neeraj, Shaileshkumar Kharwar, Ajitkumar Pandey, and Shivam Pandey. Most are reportedly residents of Uttar Pradesh, while Shaileshkumar was residing in Rajkot at the time of the arrest.

Criminal Histories of Key Accused

According to police records, Shaileshkumar Kharwar has a prior case registered against him at Palwal police station in Haryana under Sections 110, 333, and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Officials also noted previous arrest records for three other accused.

Ajitkumar Pandey was arrested in an attempted murder case in Chandauli district in 2025, while Ashwinikumar was arrested in an attempted murder case in 2025 and two assault cases in 2018. Anuragsingh had been arrested in a culpable homicide case registered at Bahariyabad police station in Uttar Pradesh. Further legal proceedings are under way.

The case underscores the operational challenge of tracking inter-state criminal networks targeting high-value commodity transporters — a pattern that Gujarat's industrial belt has encountered before.