Monday, 02 September 2024 |PNS | DEHRADUN
Six armed robbers looted a jewellery store near Old Ranipur Mod in Haridwar on Sunday afternoon. They escaped with jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees by reportedly threatening the employees and owner at gunpoint.
According to eyewitnesses and reports, the six robbers arrived on two motorcycles and entered the jewellery store. As they entered the store, they reportedly threw chilli powder to disorient the people inside and fired two shots at the store owner. After intimidating everyone present, the robbers reportedly asked the staff to quickly collect jewellery and valuables and then fled the scene on their motorcycles. According to the officials, the entire heist reportedly lasted only a few minutes and the robbers managed to escape despite the shop being in a busy location. It is being said that none of the robbers had covered their faces and they appeared to be between the ages of 20 and 28 years. Following the robbery, the assailants fled towards Aryanagar Chowk via Ranipur Mod. Some of the store’s employees and local businessmen reportedly attempted to chase them on bikes but were forced to stop when the robbers brandished weapons at them. Upon learning of the robbery, a large crowd of local traders and shopkeepers gathered at the scene, expressing shock and fear over the incident. They raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the police in maintaining law and order in such a prominent area of Haridwar. Many questioned how they could feel safe conducting business when criminals are able to carry out a robbery in broad daylight without immediate police intervention. As per the victims, the robbers created an atmosphere of fear by throwing chilli powder and firing shots in the air. They took advantage of the chaos to loot the shop and then fled.
The officials said that the Haridwar senior superintendent of police Pramendra Dobhal ordered a blockade across the district and a search operation was launched soon after getting the information of the robbery. Several senior police officials, along with teams from the special crime investigation unit also arrived at the scene and began a thorough investigation. The police also started reviewing footage from CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity to identify the robbers and track their movements. “Multiple police teams have been formed to investigate this incident and a checking campaign is underway throughout the city. We are making every effort to catch the robbers as soon as possible,” a police official said. Meanwhile, local businessmen have criticised the police for what they allege was a delayed response to the robbery.
They alleged that police’s response was delayed regarding the incident when they were reportedly informed about the robbery in the shop. They demanded better security measures to ensure such incidents do not occur again in the future.
