A robber, carrying a reward of ₹3 lakh, was killed in the wee hours of Saturday in an alleged encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) personnel at Narpatganj in Araria district, police said. The deceased Chunmun Jha was also one of those conduced a daring dacoity at a Tanishq jewellery showroom in Ara last week.
Two local people and five policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) of Narpatganj police station, were also injured in the gunfight.
The injured police personnel were identified as SHO Kumar Vikash, STF inspector Mohammad Mushtaq, Shahabuddin Ansari, Deepak Kumar, and driver Nagesh while the locals as Mehnaz Praveen and Azmun Khatun.
Chunmun Jha, a resident Araria, was allegedly one of the active members of Subodh Singh’s gang. Singh is currently languishing in a West Bengal jail.
Jha, ranked among the top 10 criminals of Seemanchal, was also active in the Purvanchal, Kosi, and Tirhut regions. One of his aides managed to escape under the cover of darkness, while the Araria police, led by superintendent of police (SP) Anjani Kumar, are combing the area to trace another gang member, Purnia range deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pramod Kumar Mandal told Hindustan Times.
Jha was allegedly involved in the high-profile Tanishq showroom robberies in Purnia (2024) and Ara (2025).
In the Purnia incident, at least six men, masquerading as customers, looted gold and diamond jewellery at gunpoint after snatching mobile phones and locking all 22 staff members in a room.
“Chunmun Jha had been under the surveillance of STF after the dacoity at the Tanishq showroom in Purnia town on July 26, 2024. A gang of six criminals, including Jha, had decamped with gold jewellery worth ₹3.70 crore,” an STF officer from police headquarters said.
Earlier this year on March 10, another group of criminals entered a Tanishq showroom in Bihar’s Ara town, posing as customers and looted jewellery worth ₹25 crore.
Following the incident, the Bhojpur police had taken swift action, nabbing two of the robbers after a brief encounter on March 10, the day of the robbery. Two bags containing looted ornaments were recovered from their possession. In total, five criminals linked to the Ara dacoity case have so far been arrested.
“Jha used to execute his crime meticulously, “said additional director general of police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan.
