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SSP Akhilesh Kumar Jha (in blue) and other officers inspect the Sakchi shop on Sunday. (Bhola Prasad)
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A jewellery shop in the heart of the city was cleaned out of gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 7 lakh in the small hours of Sunday.
The gang, which broke into Laxmi Narayan Jewellers on the first floor of a three-storey building at Sakchi Market’s Bata Square, partly dismantled three shutters — one on the ground floor — to make their way. Though they decamped with the booty, the jewel thieves left behind tell-tale evidence of their modus operandi — a metal-cutter, batteries and a screwdriver — besides a pair of slippers.
SSP Akhilesh Kumar Jha and other senior police officers inspected the crime scene, while a sniffer dog was also pressed into service. However, police are yet to chance upon a lead. A case of burglary has been registered against unidentified people on the statement of shop owner Pankaj Kumar Verma.
Sources said the break-in was discovered around 9am, when one of Verma’s employees reached the market. He found that the shutter on the ground floor had been prised open, but the locks were intact. He informed Verma. Together, they went upstairs to find that their shop had been looted.
Inspector I.B. Ojha, who has recently assumed charge of Sakchi police station, said they suspected the break-in happened between 1am and 3am and that more than one person was involved. “The owner had closed the shop late. Besides, Sakchi Market is a busy area. So, our guess is that the gang struck after all went quiet. Also, by the way the shutters have been opened, we suspect that a gang is involved,” he said.
Admitting that they were yet to make headway in the case, Ojha stressed that they were on the case and they would bring the culprits to book soon. “Our network of informers will help us crack the case.”
Incidentally, this is not the first time burglars have attacked Sakchi Market. In November last year, gold and silver jewellery worth over Rs 4.5 lakh were stolen from a shop close to Laxmi Narayan Jewellers. Police are yet to make arrests in the case.
One of Verma’s relatives said they were always content that the location of their shop was safe.
“The area is busy for most part of the day. Besides, there is a watchman at night. Now, we have learnt a lesson. The burglars were smart and entered the shop with ease by cutting open the shutter instead of trying to break the locks, which might have taken more time or attracted attention,” he said.
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