Nellore, January 21: A 50-year-old gold merchant was thrashed with iron rods and robbed of Rs 75 lakh gold and cash by two unidentified miscreants near Apollo Beedi factory, here today.
According to police, Satish Jain, a wholesale gold merchant who owns Sri Gold in Chinna Bazaar area, had taken 4.5 kg gold ornaments for sales in Vijayawada, had sold some of it and returned back with the remaining ornaments.
He got down at the Nellore railway station and was returning home near Apollo Beedi factory, when he was mugged by masked miscreants.
They thrashed him with iron rods and made away with the gold and cash, leaving him in a pool of blood. The passersby who noticed Jain unconscious and bleeding immediately shifted him to a private hospital and alerted the police.
His condition is reported to be critical.
Superintendent of Police E Damodar and DSP Radhika rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. They told that they will catch the culprits shortly. A case has been registered.
Meanwhile, the incident created shock among the business community in the city and posed a challenge to the police, as they had recently told their higher officials that they had taken adequate measure to control crime in the city.
–Agencies