A Crime That Unfolded in Broad Daylight
The growing audacity of thieves in Katni has left ordinary residents deeply worried. The situation has reached a point where criminals no longer wait for the cover of night — they are striking homes fearlessly in broad daylight. The latest such case has emerged from the Ishwaripura ward near Mission Chowk, under the Kotwali police station limits, where unknown miscreants dug through the wall of a house and made off with gold, silver, cash and other valuables worth lakhs of rupees.
Allegations of a Planned Conspiracy
The victim family insists this was no ordinary theft but a carefully plotted operation. According to the family, the accused first carried out a recce of the area and even used children to gather information about the household's daily movements and routine. Only after this surveillance did they execute the crime in a methodical manner. Fortunately, the CCTV cameras installed at the house captured the entire incident.
Shock on Returning Home
The relatives of Mohammad Sadiq, a resident of Ishwaripura ward, said that just before the incident, some members of their family had been assaulted. They had gone to the Kotwali police station to lodge a complaint about that very assault. When they returned home, they were stunned by what they saw. The criminals had broken through the wall to get inside and had fled after collecting the gold and silver jewellery, cash and other valuables kept in the house.
The CCTV footage clearly shows several people moving about inside the house completely without fear, calmly gathering the belongings. The video gives the impression that the accused had no worry of being caught and stayed inside the house for a long stretch while carrying out the crime.
Loss of Rs 9 to 10 Lakh, Police Did Not Arrive in Time
Maskoor Ahmed, a member of the victim family, said that goods worth roughly Rs 9 to 10 lakh went missing in the theft. He alleged that despite being informed, the police did not reach the spot on time. It was only after a complaint was registered on 181 that the matter was taken up. The family says that even then no concrete action followed, which forced them to approach the Superintendent of Police office to plead for justice. They have demanded the swift arrest of the accused and the recovery of the stolen goods.
Police Argument: Assault or Theft?
The police, on the other hand, say the victim side had first filed a complaint of assault stemming from an old enmity, and the matter of theft surfaced only afterwards. The police are now investigating whether the loss occurred during the assault and vandalism or whether an actual burglary was carried out. The Superintendent of Police office has assured the victim family that the CCTV footage is being examined in detail and that the accused will soon be identified and arrested. For now, the Kotwali police are engaged in probing the case.
