No clue in Darbhanga jewellery shop loot case

DARBHANGA/PATNA: The special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the state police headquarters to crack the daylight robbery in a jewellery shop on Wednesday is yet to make any breakthrough even after 24 hours of the incident.
Altogether four police teams have been set up by IG, Darbhanga range, Ajitabh Kumar, to conduct raids and collect evidence. CID SP Shailesh Kumar, who reached Darbhanga on the directive of the police headquarters said, “Some important clue has been found.Raids were on to nab the criminals. So far there is no significant breakthrough.”
According to the IG, SPs of adjoining districts like Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Khagaria districts have been asked to cooperate with the SIT and share information related to the jewellery loot case. Cyber crime experts and forensic experts have also been pressed into service to help the SIT headed by City SP Ashok Kumar.
Darbhanga SSP Babu Ram inquired about the progress in the case from the members of the raiding teams. The CCTV footage is being analysed to ascertain the identity of the criminals.
A sniffer dog was pressed into service to trace the exit route of the robbers, who fired in the air to terrorise the local traders. A bag containing some jewellery was dropped by one of the robbers and subsequently recovered by the shop owner.
Shop owner Pawan Kumar Lath said that the robbers took away gold jewellery weighing 11.672 kg worth Rs.5.35 crore and Rs.2 lakh in cash. An FIR was lodged with the Town police station on the basis of the shop owner’s statement.
A STF team is camping at Darbhanga. “STF personnel have been provided with the CCTV footage of the incident,” an investigating officer said.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the members of the chamber of commerce and industry led by vice president Shatrughna Panjiyar met SSP Babu Ram and demanded proper security to businessmen. The SSP assured the delegation that adequate steps would be taken to instil confidence among members of the trade community.
Daylight loot in Alankar Jewellers located at Bada Bazar in Darbhanga town is not an isolated incident. Earlier, gold jewellery worth Rs.1 crore was looted from a jewellery shop located at Teghra in Begusarai district in September. In addition, a jeweller was shot dead and gold ornaments worth Rs.5 lakh was looted from him in Motihari on September 9.