Pune: After a spate of killings in the city, now it seems the burglars are on a free run. The thieves took advantage of the torrential rains and subsequent flooding to break into nine shops in Viman Nagar and Somnath Nagar area while a house in Kondhwa was also burgled by unidentified suspects with silver and gold ornaments worth Rs 2.25 lakh stolen from the house.
Interestingly the nine shops which were burgled, are located very close by the Mahatma Phule police chowky in Somnath Nagar and Vimantal police station in Viman Nagar. These break-in crimes took place on Wednesday night when most of the city was flooded due to heavy rains. All roads were blocked and flooded with water while the rain water had entered some societies and row houses. Hence the power utility services company Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) had cut-off power supply in Viman Nagar and Somnath Nagar area on Wednesday night.
The suspects took advantage of this power supply cut and burgled four shops in the main Viman Nagar junction. Police Sub Inspector Hanumant Giri from Vimantal police station said, several items worth a total of Rs 48 thousand were stolen from these shops.
Meanwhile, on the same night five shops in Somnath Nagar were burgled. Since the items stolen from these shops were of a trivial amount most shopkeepers preferred not to lodge a complaint with the police. However, the trader community is in fear as the suspects struck them in the shortest span of time.
Shankar Khatke, Senior Police Inspector of Chandan Nagar police station said, “I have visited all the shops where the theft has taken place. But the shopkeepers have not filed a complaint regarding this at the police chowky and hence no FIR has been registered yet in connection with these incidents.”
In the Kondhwa incident, Anilkumar Pandey (48) from Shivneri Nagar has lodged a complaint. He had gone to his native place in Azamgarh of Uttar Pradesh from August 13 to September 26. While his house was closed, some unknown suspects entered his house from the terrace side and decamped with cash and gold and silver ornaments all worth Rs 2.25 lakh. Police Sub-Inspector A K Chaus is probing the case.
Since the lockdown has been relaxed, the house break-in incidents have increased in the city. The suspects are targeting homes which are closed since the occupants have shifted to their native places during the lockdown.
