In a shocking incident that has raised serious questions about urban security, the home of a retired Army officer in Lucknow was systematically looted by unidentified burglars who operated with brazen calm for several hours. The targeted residence, located in the Vrindavan housing society under the PGI police station limits, was ransacked while the owner and his family were away.
The Brazen Overnight Operation
The burglary took place in the early hours of Friday morning. The victim, identified as Dilip Gupta, a retired Army officer, was away with his family in the Shuklaganj area of Kanpur. His house had been locked for two days, a fact the thieves exploited.
According to the police complaint, the accused entered the premises around 1:30 am on the Thursday-Friday night. Comprehensive CCTV footage, which has since gone viral on social media, captured the entire audacious operation. The footage shows the burglars first conducting a thorough survey of the property before methodically searching each room.
In a move that highlights their planning, the thieves called a loader vehicle to the scene between 5:30 am and 6:00 am. They are then seen calmly loading household goods and other valuables onto the vehicle before driving away from the colony, undisturbed.
Police Response and Public Fear
An FIR was registered at the PGI police station on Saturday, a day after the crime was discovered. The incident has sent waves of fear and anxiety through the Vrindavan housing society and the surrounding area.
Residents have openly begun questioning the effectiveness of existing security arrangements in the colony. Many are now demanding increased and more vigilant night patrolling by local police to prevent such bold crimes in the future. The viral nature of the CCTV clips has amplified public outrage and concern.
Another Theft Strikes Indiranagar
In a separate but similarly troubling incident, a burglary was reported from the Indiranagar police station area on Friday. Police received information around 8:40 am about a theft in the Rajaram complex near Balaji Chauraha.
Preliminary investigations revealed that unidentified thieves broke into two establishments during the intervening night of December 26-27. They targeted Rajesh Communication, a mobile shop owned by Rajesh, and a Jan Aushadhi Kendra owned by Vijay Prakash Pandey.
The stolen items from these commercial properties included:
- A customer's mobile phone from the communication store.
- Cash worth approximately Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 from the mobile shop.
- Rs 2,000 in cash from the Jan Aushadhi centre.
- Four containers of chyawanprash.
These back-to-back incidents in different parts of the city have put the spotlight on law and order, prompting calls for a more robust and proactive security response from the authorities to safeguard citizens and their property.
