On 04-07-2020, Mohammad Amir Malik S/O Gh. Hussain Malik R/O Deviangan Hawal lodged a written report in PIS Nowhatta to the effect that he has a mobile shop at Gojwara Chowk and during intervening night of 03-04/07/2020 some unknown burglars barged into his shop and have decamped with mobile phones i of different brands worth lakhs of rupees. On receipt of this complaint a case FIR No. 33/2020 U/S 457,380 IPC was registered and investigation taken up.
During the course of investigation services of FSL unit as well as electronic survellance unit were utilized. The tower dump of the area was analyzed and IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones were put on surveillance for any lead in the case. An important clue emerged when a CCTV camera of a nearby shop recorded 03 suspected persons who seemed to be scrap collectors entering the mobile shop and leaving after sometime with some sacks. On the basis of thei CCTV footage, searches were carried out across city in all areas with settlementsi of non-local scrap collectors. i
After nearly 02 months one stolen mobile phone became active with user location at New Delhi and SDR was found as Abdul Razaq Sheikh Slo Mohammad Sulaiman Sheikh R/o J.J Colony Bhawana Delhi.
In order to investigate the matter a police party headed by an officer was deputed to Delhi and the accused was arrested on 06/09/2020. During questioning. the accused disclosed that he had hidden stolen mobile phones at his residence at J.J Colony Bhawana Delhi. On this disclosure of the accused police party recovered/seized 112 mobile phones along with their accessories from the spot.
The accused Abdul Razaq was later shifted from New Delhi to Srinagar and again questioned when he revealed names of his two associates asi Mohammad Alamin Sheikh @ Faggu Shiekh S/o Mohammad Fazlu Shiekh R/o Madanpur Khadar District Sarita Vihar New Delhi A/P Harnag Anantnag and Mohammad Jahangir Sheikh S/o Mohammad Fazlu @ Faggu Shiekh R/o Madanpur Khadar District Sarita Vihar New Delhi A/P Harnag Anantnag and also disclosed that few mobile phones are still dumped in the rented room of hisi associate namely Mohammad Jahangir. On this, a police party was deputed towards Harnag Anantnag for the arrest/recoveries. Both the accused werei arrested and 11 stolen mobile sets were recovered/seized from the rented room of Mohammad Jahangir.
In order to ascertain their modus operandi all the burglars were put to sustained questioning during which they revealed that they used to recee their targets posing themselves as scrap collectors.
In the instant case also they had visited Gojawara area several times and did recee of the surroundings of the shop as well as noted the working schedule of the shop owner. They also divulged that they had noted, the said shop owner used to add new stock once during the week and on the day when the owner added new stock to the store they decided to strike post midnight. They used hacksaw blades and plumbing wrench to break the locks of the shop. Before the burglary they waited tilll midnight at a nearby place and after burglary returned to their rented place at Harnag, Anantnag. They dumped the stolen mobile phone at Harnag for nearly two months to avoid detection by police and to escape the initial manhunt. After lying low for two months, Abdul Razaq left with the stolen property for Delhi to sell them there while the other two burglars remained at Harnag.
Thereby, Srinagar Police was able to recover the stolen property of about Rupees 26 lakhs from the accused persons. The investigating team of the case has done a commendable job with the highest statements of professionalism.
