Bhopal News: Jewellery Thieves Escape Police Raid At Irani Dera Due To Women’s Protest

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The attempts of a Chhattisgarh police team and local cops to arrest three jewellery thieves hiding in Irani Dera on Thursday failed on account of resistance by women.

The three men are accused of stealing jewellery worth Rs 12 lakh from a shop in Bemetara. The suspects, identified as Sartaj alias Taru, Takdir and Ghulam have taken shelter in the Irani Dera.

According to reports, when police teams entered the area, a large group of women surrounded them, forcing the cops on back foot and the three suspects escaped taking advantage of the chaos.

Additional police force was called in and the tension lasted for nearly an hour and a half before the situation returned to normal.

The theft took place on September 19 in a jewellery shop in Bemetara. Sartaj and Takdir allegedly entered the shop on the pretext of buying ornaments while Ghulam waited outside on a bike.

The two engaged the jeweller in conversation while slipping gold lockets, rings and other ornaments into their pockets. After paying a token advance of Rs 1,000, they left, claiming they would return with more money.

Investigations revealed the trio’s link to the Irani Dera gang led by Adil Ali alias Raju Irani who shelters criminals from multiple states. Sartaj, a notorious criminal, has committed similar crimes in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.

ACP Akshay Choudhary confirmed that no suspects were caught during the raid due to the protest by local women. He added that while these gangs operated across states, no local complaints had been received against them so far. Action would be taken once complaints were registered, he said.