Dehradun police are still groping in the dark to identify the criminals who had attacked a security guard while attempting to rob an IDBI bank ATM at Saharanpur Chowk in the city on Saturday night. The guard Rajendra had been attacked with a hammer, leaving him injured on his head, while the criminals had broken the CCTV camera to hide their identities. The audacity with which the crime had been committed in the heart of the city, throwing a dare to police, has deepened insecurity in the people and raised a question mark over the efficacy of the police patrolling during night.
Kotwali police station BBD Juyal said that four teams, including SOG, formed to crack the case, are now investigating. CCTV camera footages are being reviewed by the team members to identify the criminals, he said while admitting that the probe is yet to achieve anything tangible to nail down the criminals.
SP City PK Rai said that security guard Rajendra has undergone a surgery on his head and he is stated to be out of danger. “We might get a clue to the identities of the criminals after he is in a position to have his statement recorded,” he added.
As per police sources, review of the CCTV footages has revealed involvement of one person in the assault on the security guard.
Observers say that two back to back crimes-one of body of a youth being found near the iconic clock tower and the other of abortive attempt to rob an ATM in the heart of the city have exposed the fact that the police brass’s attempt to ensure regular patrolling of the city areas during night has proved a fiasco. “We are worried as the police here seem to be more focused on resolving traffic pileups rather than stopping crimes. Things are all the more alarming as the criminals on the run in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh might sneak into the hill state as Uttarakhand is considered a soft state by the hardened criminals,” says an observer.