JOIN USJewellery shop had no security guard
An armed security guard could have saved the life of Shravan Kumar Pokarna, the jeweller killed during the heist at his Rajajinagar shop on Saturday, according to police.
Senior police officials who visited the spot listed a number of security lapses at the shop. All the jewellery shops have been advised to appoint armed security guards and close the shutters partially after 6 pm. However, Rishab Jewellers had no security guard, leave alone an armed guard.
S N Siddaramappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) said in spite of repeated advice from the City Police Commissioner and frequent meetings with the association of jewellery shop owners, a majority of them had not appointed security guards.
He said an armed security guard at the shop could have saved Shravan Kumar.
While CCTV cameras were installed at the shop, the intruders have made away with the storage device thus leaving the police in the dark. S Murugan, Joint Commissioner (Crime-East) said the footages in the camera installed at the busy junction where the shop is located could give some clues.
Rishab Jewellers is housed in a two-shop premises and each shop has a separate rolling shutter. Kumar used to open only one shutter. Since the other shutter was closed, the attack in the shop went unnoticed by passersby, a senior cop at the spot said.
Dog squad and forensic teams were rushed to the spot. The dogs led the cops to the corner just beside the shop where a pair of abandoned slippers, suspected to be of the murderers, was found. There was also a trail of blood on the street. The cops found an empty box of a new kitchen knife with blood stains.
S Suresh Kumar, Law Minister and local MLA who visited the spot, said the shop was small and the presence of an armed guard would have saved Kumar. Murugan said five special teams headed by the DCP have been formed to investigate the case.
A gang of three men who struck at Chemmanur Jewellers in Rajajinagar First Block on September 29 last year, made away with valuables worth Rs 1.95 crore.
Though the value of jewellery looted at Rishab Jewellers is yet to be ascertained, a senior police official said that the entire shop was emptied.