Burglars strike in VIP areas at will

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CPI national secretary D. Raja and party activists protest against the recent petrol price hike in New Delhi on Saturday. — G.N

Burglars are having a free run in Lutyens’ Delhi. Two incidents were reported from the high-security areas in the capital within a span of three days. While thieves had stolen the floodlights from the renowned historical monument Purana Qila on Thursday, they struck at the house of a bureaucrat on Saturday afternoon and decamped with valuables.
In the first incident, the administration of Purana Qila lodged a complaint at the Tilak Marg police station on Friday stating that some unidentified burglars managed to gain entry into the monument premises on Thursday night, despite the city being on high alert, and stole some floodlights from there.
The police said the matter came to light when the staff of Purana Qila found the floodlights missing in the morning and informed the administration.
After a thorough check of the stores at the monument, the staff didn’t find the lights following which a complaint was filed at the police station and a case was registered.
The police said that some bad characters of the area were picked up for questioning but the missing articles have not been recovered so far.
In the second incident reported from Pandara Park area, which is house to top bureaucrats and politicians in the city, unidentified burglars sneaked into the house of a senior official of CPWD and took away some valuables in the residence.
The incident took place at around 3.30 pm on Saturday when the unidentified thieves gained entry into the house of a civil servant (name withheld) and decamped with some valuables believed to be worth lakhs of rupees.
The station house officer of the Tilak Marg police station, Mukesh Walia, said that the valuables were found missing and a case has been registered.
Mr Walia, however, refused to elaborate the circumstances under which the theft took place at the house of the top civil servant when the city has been put on high alert following an input by the Intelligence Bureau that terrorists may carry out a strike in the city.
Despite repeated attempts, senior police officials of New Delhi district were not available for their comments on the thefts in high-security places.