CHITWAN, Aug 5: Prabhat Didibahini Savings and Credits Co-operative of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-12 was robbed on July 29. Head of the co-operative Saraswati Kalita Shah said that Rs 548,660 in cash was looted from a metal safe in the co-operative office.

According to the co-operative, even the CCTV DVR of the office that recorded the theft was stolen by the robbers who had broken into the co-operative through a window. Shah said that the total loss dealt by the robbery including the theft of the CCTV camera is Rs 626,660. 

Some 17 cases of robberies and thefts were registered at the District Police Office of Chitwan in fiscal year 2017/18 among which six involved co-operatives.

Spokesperson for the district police, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prabhu Prasad Dhakal said that 27 people were arrested by the police for 17 robberies in the last fiscal year. 

Some 13 others who were found to be involved in the robberies are on the run. Out of the six co-operatives that were robbed, Police has launched investigation into four cases.

The Federation of Savings and Credits Co-operatives of Chitwan said that nine robberies were staged at co-operatives in the last six months. Head of the federation, Tejendra Khadka said that there has been an increase in the number of robberies in the co-operatives in the last few months. 

He said, “If we notice the increase in the number of robberies, we see that that co-operative have been more targertted in the last few months.”

According to district police Spokesperson Dhakal, robberies of cash and items easily sold have increased. Such items include mobile phones, laptops and other electronic equipment. “In some cases, the robbers have just stolen particular items,” he said.

It has also been revealed that the network of the thieves is extended up to India and that the same group of thieves is involved in robberies in Gorkha, Tanahun and Pokhara. 

“An accused has even been presented in the court in India,” Dhakal said.

 
• jewellery
 
• mobile
 
• stores
 
• cooperatives
 
• risk
 
• robbery