Bhopal, July 2 (IANS) Five days after the alleged theft at the residence of retired judge Giribala Singh, Bhopal police are yet to make any breakthrough despite examining footage from around 150-200 CCTV cameras, questioning nearly a dozen suspects and collecting fingerprints from dozens of people as part of the investigation.

The alleged burglary took place on June 28 at the Bagmugaliya Extension residence while Giribala Singh and her son, advocate Samarth Singh, were lodged in Bhopal Central Jail in connection with the alleged dowry death case of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma.

Katara Hills SHO Sunil Dubey told IANS that investigators have pursued multiple leads since the theft was reported, but none has yielded conclusive evidence so far.

“We have examined footage from nearly 150 to 200 CCTV cameras installed in and around the area to trace the suspects. Besides this, around 10 suspected persons have been questioned during the investigation. We have also collected fingerprints of nearly a dozen individuals and matched them, but no concrete evidence has emerged so far. The investigation is continuing, and all possible angles are being examined,” Dubey said.

The SHO said investigators have now approached the court seeking permission to question Giribala Singh, as police require her statement to verify the complaint and prepare a detailed inventory of the missing valuables.

“We have sought permission from the court to record Giribala Singh’s statement in connection with the theft case. Since she is in judicial custody, her statement is necessary to ascertain the exact details of the stolen articles and move the investigation forward,” Dubey told IANS.

When asked about the quantity and value of the stolen property, Dubey said police have only received preliminary information and cannot specify the losses at this stage.

“As of now, it has been reported that some gold and silver jewellery is missing. The exact quantity, description and value of the stolen items can only be confirmed by the family members,” he added.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage from inside (according to police sources) the house shows several masked men entering the first-floor portion of the residence during the early hours of June 28.

The portion includes Giribala Singh’s bedroom and the room earlier occupied by Samarth Singh and his wife Twisha Sharma.

The footage allegedly shows the intruders moving through the rooms with torchlights, searching bedside drawers, cupboards, almirahs and the area around the bed. The suspects appear to spend several minutes inside the rooms before leaving.

Police believe the burglars entered through the rear side of the house, while some accomplices remained outside to keep watch. Police sources said a patrol vehicle reportedly spotted three suspected burglars near the house around 5 a.m. on the day of the incident.

While two fled immediately, the third also managed to escape after police recovered a bag allegedly containing an old licensed revolver along with some silver ornaments and other valuables.

Investigators suspect that other members of the group escaped before the police patrol reached the spot and may have taken away a substantial portion of the valuables, including gold jewellery and brass items.

The theft occurred amid the ongoing CBI investigation into the death of Twisha Sharma, a former model and actor, who was found hanging at the family’s residence on May 12, barely five months after her marriage to Samarth Singh.

–IANS

pd/dan

Bhopal, July 2 (IANS) Five days after the alleged theft at the residence of retired judge Giribala Singh, Bhopal police are yet to make any breakthrough despite examining footage from around 150-200 CCTV cameras, questioning nearly a dozen suspects and collecting fingerprints from dozens of people as part of the investigation.

The alleged burglary took place on June 28 at the Bagmugaliya Extension residence while Giribala Singh and her son, advocate Samarth Singh, were lodged in Bhopal Central Jail in connection with the alleged dowry death case of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma.

Katara Hills SHO Sunil Dubey told IANS that investigators have pursued multiple leads since the theft was reported, but none has yielded conclusive evidence so far.

“We have examined footage from nearly 150 to 200 CCTV cameras installed in and around the area to trace the suspects. Besides this, around 10 suspected persons have been questioned during the investigation. We have also collected fingerprints of nearly a dozen individuals and matched them, but no concrete evidence has emerged so far. The investigation is continuing, and all possible angles are being examined,” Dubey said.

The SHO said investigators have now approached the court seeking permission to question Giribala Singh, as police require her statement to verify the complaint and prepare a detailed inventory of the missing valuables.

“We have sought permission from the court to record Giribala Singh’s statement in connection with the theft case. Since she is in judicial custody, her statement is necessary to ascertain the exact details of the stolen articles and move the investigation forward,” Dubey told IANS.

When asked about the quantity and value of the stolen property, Dubey said police have only received preliminary information and cannot specify the losses at this stage.

“As of now, it has been reported that some gold and silver jewellery is missing. The exact quantity, description and value of the stolen items can only be confirmed by the family members,” he added.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage from inside (according to police sources) the house shows several masked men entering the first-floor portion of the residence during the early hours of June 28.

The portion includes Giribala Singh’s bedroom and the room earlier occupied by Samarth Singh and his wife Twisha Sharma.

The footage allegedly shows the intruders moving through the rooms with torchlights, searching bedside drawers, cupboards, almirahs and the area around the bed. The suspects appear to spend several minutes inside the rooms before leaving.

Police believe the burglars entered through the rear side of the house, while some accomplices remained outside to keep watch. Police sources said a patrol vehicle reportedly spotted three suspected burglars near the house around 5 a.m. on the day of the incident.

While two fled immediately, the third also managed to escape after police recovered a bag allegedly containing an old licensed revolver along with some silver ornaments and other valuables.

Investigators suspect that other members of the group escaped before the police patrol reached the spot and may have taken away a substantial portion of the valuables, including gold jewellery and brass items.

The theft occurred amid the ongoing CBI investigation into the death of Twisha Sharma, a former model and actor, who was found hanging at the family’s residence on May 12, barely five months after her marriage to Samarth Singh.

–IANS

pd/dan