Hundreds of Balawala residents led by local public representatives blocked the national highway near Harrawala, Doiwlala, accusing police of failing to apprehend the culprits a day after the armed burglary was committed in a house at Nakraunda, Balawala where one person was killed and four others of the same family were injured. The local residents warned that they will intensity protest if police fail to solve this case within two days.
The leaders of the ruling and Opposition parties expressed anguish with crimes continuing unabated in the state. They demanded steps to be taken by the police to check crimes apart from taking measures to crack the unsolved crimes without delay. However, police carried out combing operations in the area to apprehend the criminals. At some places in Balawala, police checked the identity cards of the residents who were getting into the area.
Angered with increasing cases of burglary and loot in the locality, large number of locals assembled near Harawala highway and blocked the road, resulting traffic snarl on both sides of the roads that caused inconvenience for the commuters. They raised slogans against police, saying they are doing nothing to checkmate the crimes by drilling fear in the criminals. "We are all scared," said a senior citizen residing in the locality.
Senior Congress leader and Doiwala MlA Hira Singh Bisht and other local representatives reached the spot and threw full weight behind the locals, averring that police should swoop on the criminals to instill confidence in the locals. Heavy police forces were pressed into service to clear the roads of the blockade. The roads were cleared after four to five hours as the blockaders withdrew following assurance from police that the case would be solved promptly.
Moreover, police had conducted combing operations in the Balawala area and put barricades at various places and those having identity cards were allowed to enter the area.State Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) law and order Ram Singh Meena said taking cognisance of the complaint, a case under appropriate sections of IPC was registered in the Raipur Police Station. A police post has been set up in the area too.
Moreover, to solve the case, five teams, including one consisting of Special Operation Group personnel, have been formed and one of them has been deployed in the districts of Uttar Pradesh to nab the culprits. Some teams are working here to solve the case.
He further said investigation is on and police are working on several angles. Police have not got any clues regarding involvement of the employees of Khukhri factory, located a few meters away from the home where the burglary had occurred. Blood outside the factory is yet to be verified; however, the guard of the factory is being interrogated by police. Footages of CCTV installed at factory gate will be reviewed. Police are yet to get a clue to get into the bottom of the case, he added. Meena said the preliminary investigation revealed that the criminals might have entered the house to loot but not to kill anyone.
Mention worthy, in his complainant, the agriculture department officer Surendra Singh Thapliyal stated that around five unidentified persons had barged into his home at 4 am and at gun point, criminals had demanded gold ornaments and cash from the family members.
One of the criminals had fired shots on his 23- year- old son Ankit when he resisted the criminals. Ankit had died on the spot. Four other members of the family, including Surendra Singh Negi, Videnshwari, Shanti and Anjali (tenant), were also injured after being hit with rods by the criminals. The tenant was also hurt in the attack. The criminals decamped with gold ornaments and cash worth around Rs90, 000. One of the criminals was injured either during their scuffle with Ankit or from negotiating the iron gate of the house, police said.