It was literally a burglars ‘night out’ in the Steel City as a gang went on a lock-breaking spree at a residential area near the residence of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, triggering panic among the residents. According to information, miscreants decamped with cash and valuables worth Rs1 lakh by committing thefts in as many as four residential quarters in Agrico under Sidhgora Police Station area at the wee hours of Wednesday.
The serial thefts took place at the residential quarters on Cross Road No 3 in Agrico, which are located near the residence of CM Raghubar Das located on Agrico Main Road. Though security at Road No 1 in Agrico, where the Chief Minister’s residence is located has been beefed after his appointment as CM but series of theft have left everyone surprised.
Sources informed that the first theft took place at the house of Girija Sharma at l5 quarter on Cross Road No 3. The thieves decamped with two cell-phones and Rs60,000 cash. Sharma informed that he and his wife were in sleep but when he woke up at about 4 am, he found the door open. Then, he searched the room and discovered that Rs3,500 was missing from daughter’s bag. Similarly, he was shocked to see other valuable missing.
In the rest of three houses, at Qrs No 112, 118 and 120, the thieves flew away with a fan, cosmetic items and clothes etc, but what made the residents of these houses worried that the thieves had entered into their residential premises. Sharma has lodged an FIR with the Sidhgora Police Station against unknown thieves.
The officer-in-charge, Shambhu Nath Gupta inspected the spot. Gupta had pressed a sniffer dog into service for finding the criminals. The sniffer dog searched Bhuiyandih, but failed to make any breakthrough in the serial thefts. During the inspection, the police found a pistol and a pair of gloves lying abandoned near the houses where the theft took place. The police have seized the firearms and the gloves.
later in the day, senior SP, Amol V Homkar and SP (city) Karthik S went to the spot for inspecting the serial thefts. The police inspected the houses where the thefts took place and also the CM’s residence, which is located at about 100 metres away from the house of Girija Sharma. “We are concerned over the situation and are taking all necessary steps to find out the thieves involved in the serial thefts,” said the SP (City) Karthik.
“As per initial investigation, it appears that there were at least four or more burglars involved in the crime,” said a police official. The police officer, however, pointed out that night patrolling will be intensified from Wednesday. “We are trying our best to control the spurt in petty crimes in the city and we have been successful in arresting fewer thieves involved in the reported cases, but I think there is a need to ensure proper night watch. We are planning to increase the movement of mobile police,” said another official. A spate of burglaries in the city and suburbs during past few months has prompted the police to take some quick measures to curb the problem. It is time for the police to focus attention to curtail the increasing.