BALASORE: Concerned over frequent loot cases in Baliapal area and police inaction, Jewellery Shop Owners’ Association has demanded Crime Branch probe. Seven jewellery shops have been looted in three years.
Association president Mrutyunjay Kamila said the loot cases have gone up since 2011 and the local police have failed to make any breakthrough in most of the cases. Though jewellery worth more than `1.5 crore has been stolen during the period, the cops have failed to recover anything.
According to the jewellery shop owners, in March, 2011, the miscreants looted ornaments worth around `10 lakh from Jasoda Jewellers at Simulia Bazaar in Baliapal after breaking open the shutter of the shop. In April 2012, three jewellery shops were targeted and ornaments worth `40 lakh were looted.
Though the CCTV at Kamala Jewellers had captured the looting, police failed to arrest the miscreants so far. Last year, a gang of dacoits looted gold and silver jewellery worth over `70 lakh from the jewellery shop after cutting open its shutter.
Another jewellery shop at Dagara market was looted in February this year and ornaments worth over `10 lakh were stolen. Though the miscreants had made a similar attempt on Basanti Jewellers and attacked its proprietor in November, they failed to loot anything.
In December, three bike borne miscreants attacked owner of Anirudha Jewellers Prabir Kamila brutally while he was returning home after closing his shop at Simulia market and looted two bags containing gold and silver ornaments worth over `10 lakh.
Association secretary Suryakanta Patra said though in the recent incident the police have arrested six persons, they have failed to recover the stolen ornaments from them. “The looters are escaping to West Bengal after committing the crime. Despite repeated requests, police have failed to intensify night patrolling,” he said.
Some of the jewellery shop owners alleged that the dacoits were hands in glove with the cops. “The police are unwilling to take the cases seriously as they share the looted amount. That’s why we have demanded Crime Branch probe,” they said.
Refuting the allegations, DSP Amaresh Panda said all such cases have been taken seriously. “The police have nabbed six persons in one such case. We hope to get clues from them which will help solve other cases too,” he added.