Garhwal Post Bureau
Rishikesh, 4 Aug: The Rishikesh Police have arrested a thief who had stolen jewellery worth around Rs 20 lakh from a locked house. The stolen jewellery has been recovered.
The accused has been identified as Suraj Kumar Verma (31), a resident of Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh. Police said Suraj is a habitual offender and has been involved in several theft cases before. So far, four criminal cases have already been registered against him in Rishikesh.
According to the police, the incident happened between 25 and 31 July, when the house owner, Om Prakash Batra, resident of Rishikesh, had gone to Delhi with his family. When they returned, they found the lock broken and gold and diamond jewellery missing. He immediately filed a complaint at the Rishikesh police station. A case was registered, and investigation started.
On 4 August, police got a tip that the suspect was seen near Haridwar-Rishikesh bypass, trying to escape with the stolen jewellery. The police team quickly reached the spot and arrested Suraj Kumar Verma (31), a resident of Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh. Jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh and a black music system were found with him.
During questioning, Suraj confessed to the crime. He said he is addicted to drugs and commits theft to pay for his addiction. He used to walk around during the day to look for empty houses. At night, he broke into such houses. He also said that he has no fixed home and sleeps near the Ganga ghats.
After stealing the jewellery, he tried to sell it in the local market, but no one bought it without a bill. He was planning to go to Haridwar or Saharanpur to sell the items, but the police caught him before that.
