Watch: Nashik jewellery shop robbery bid fails after staff fight back against armed gang; 6 suspects on bikes flee

NASHIK: A jewellery store staffer in the busy Hirawadi market area of Panchavati was injured after being hit with a firearm butt during an attempted robbery around 9pm on Friday.The Panchavati police said six masked men arrived on three motorbikes, with four entering the store posing as customers looking to buy a gold chain. “Once inside, one of the suspects pulled out a firearm and tried to grab jewellery from the counter. The store owner and two staff members raised an alarm and resisted the attempt. During the ensuing scuffle, one of the assailants struck a staffer on the head with the butt of his gun,” the police said.Despite the assault, the staffer and the owner continued to resist and shout for help, prompting the robbers to panic and flee on their motorbikes empty-handed.The police rushed to the spot after being alerted. “There was no firing during the incident. The injured staffer suffered a forehead wound and required a few stitches, but his condition is stable,” senior inspector Gajendra Patil of the Panchavati police said.The police have registered a case under sections 310(2) (dacoity) and 311 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act.Teams have been formed to trace the suspects, though no leads had been established by Saturday afternoon. DCP (crime) Kirankumar Chavan, ACP (crime) Sandeep Mitke, ACP Shekhar Deshmukh and other senior officers visited the spot as part of the investigation.