Wednesday, 15 November 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The gang which had robbed Reliance Jewels showroom in Dehradun on November 9 had planned to commit the robbery a day before Dhanteras months in advance. The incident had nothing to do with President Droupadi Murmu’s arrival and related safety arrangements of the police, said the Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh. Several people including many locals and politicians raised questions on Dehradun police’s capability to maintain law and order when five robbers looted jewellery worth about Rs 20 crore from a jewellery showroom located on Rajpur Road- a prime location in the provisional State capital. Many locals and politicians have been giving statements that the police were so busy in welcoming the President and in her security arrangements that they neglected the responsibility of maintaining law and order in the city for the general public’s safety. Many also called the incident shameful for the police as it happened when the President was present in the city. Some have also speculated that the culprits planned the robbery as per the President’s arrival. However, the SSP has refuted all such claims stating that all the evidence collected so far suggests that the gang was reportedly planning the robbery for at least two months. The police have found no immediate connection between the robbery and the President’s visit, Singh said. He said that the robbers knew that the showroom will get the supply of jewellery ahead of Dhanteras considering which they robbed the showroom as per their planning. The SSP said, “The robbery here was carried out by the gang after preparing for months. The police teams have been sent to all possible places in other States to investigate the gang. The police are making all efforts to nab the robbers and have reached very close to arresting them. I request all people to encourage the police officials instead of doing politics in the matter. Since the gang carried out the crime after months of planning, it will take some time to arrest them but they will be arrested,” Singh stressed.
