A group of car-borne thieves allegedly targeted shops across Rudrapur, Sitarganj and Haldwani between Friday night and Saturday morning, breaking the locks of 3 liquor outlets and around 10 to 12 shops in total. Traders said more than 1.5 lakh rupees in cash, expensive liquor, beer and grocery items were stolen.

The incidents covered 2 districts and included a shop near the Senior Superintendent of Police’s residence in Rudrapur. The locations have raised concerns among local traders about the security arrangements around commercial areas.

Reported thefts in Rudrapur and Sitarganj

Liquor trader Virendra Singh Bisht said thieves reached his Rudrapur outlet at around one:00 during the night. They cut through the shutter and interior locks before taking one lakh rupees in cash and 3 expensive liquor bottles.

The same suspects reportedly reached Bisht’s second shop in Sitarganj at one:57. About 30 thousand rupees and liquor bottles were taken from that outlet, according to the trader.

Locks at 6 to 7 other shops near the Sitarganj outlet were also found broken. The available information does not specify the total value of goods taken from those shops.

Haldwani shops also targeted

The thieves later reached Haldwani, where a country-liquor shop on Rampur Road was targeted at 4:15 AM. Operator Lalit Arya said 23 thousand rupees and 6 beer cans were missing from the outlet.

A grocery shop on Bareilly Road was also entered. The owner of Neeraj Sales, Shravan Gupta, was informed about the broken locks by a rickshaw driver on Saturday morning.

Gupta found around 25 thousand rupees missing from the cash drawer. The thieves also took juice cartons, packets of ghee, cigarette packets and boxes of pan masala from the shop.

Police examine CCTV footage

Business owners have submitted complaints at the police stations concerned. The complaints relate to thefts from liquor and grocery shops in the 3 locations.

Nainital SSP Dr Manjunath TC said police teams from the relevant police stations were investigating the incidents. Officers are examining CCTV footage from cameras installed around the affected shops.

The police have said the suspects will be arrested soon and that the incidents will then be formally disclosed. No arrests or recoveries had been reported in the available information.

Conclusion

The overnight break-ins affected liquor and grocery shops in Rudrapur, Sitarganj and Haldwani, with traders reporting stolen cash and goods. Police teams are investigating the complaints and checking CCTV footage for leads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which places were affected by the reported thefts?

The reported thefts took place in Rudrapur, Sitarganj and Haldwani.

Q. How many shops were reportedly targeted?

Around 10 to 12 shops were targeted, including 3 liquor outlets.

Q. What was reportedly stolen?

Traders reported stolen cash, expensive liquor, beer, grocery products, juice, ghee, cigarettes and pan masala.

Q. What cash losses were reported by named shop operators?

Virendra Singh Bisht reported one lakh rupees from his Rudrapur shop and about 30 thousand rupees from his Sitarganj shop. Lalit Arya reported 23 thousand rupees, while Shravan Gupta reported around 25 thousand rupees missing.

Q. What action has the police taken?

Police teams are investigating the complaints and examining CCTV footage from nearby cameras.

Q. Have any arrests been reported?

No arrests or recoveries had been reported in the available information. The police said the suspects would be arrested soon.