The Srinagar police arrested two men charged with theft at Ratuda bend on the Srinagar-Bughani road on the weekend. The police not only recovered jewellery worth about `three lakh from the duo but also ascertained after questioning that the two were involved in at least three other theft cases in Srinagar area of Pauri district.

Srinagar police station in charge inspector Uttam Singh told The Pioneer that the two miscreants were arrested by the police team on the Srinagar-Buganni road near Ratuda bend on the weekend in connection with burglary in the house of Dang (Srinagar) resident Balbir Singh Rautela July 25. The two arrested men were identified as  Rizwan and Raheesh both natives of Saddpura village near Siyohara in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. The SHO informed that both the accused men, during police questioning, had also confessed that they had also committed the theft at Hunuman Mandir situated in Upper Bazaar on May 24 and the burglary in the house of Brijmohan Chamoli of Upper Bhaghtyana in Srinagar on June 13 earlier this year. Police Inspector Uttam Singh said that Rizwan revealed that he also committed a theft in area under the jurisdiction of the Raipur police station in Dehradun and was in jail from November 2014 to April 2015 after which he was able to secure bail. The two arrested men also confessed to the police they were also involved in the theft committed in Gauchar in Chamoli district. The statements of the accused will be verified by the police. The police team which nabbed the duo along with the stolen jewelery comprised SHO Uttam Singh, SSI Praveen Koshiyari, SOG incharge Vikash Bhardwaj, SI Rafat Ali, Santosh Kumar  and Mukesh Dimri.

It is pertinent to mention here that a considerable proportion of the crimes being committed in Uttarakhand are those involving criminals from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh who consider Uttarakhand an easier target to hit.