J&K: Burglars strike houses of suspected Covid-19 patients

The family of the two suspected patients is in quarantine and there was no one in the house. Two of their family members were tested positive for Covid-19 and admitted in Srinagar hospital. The relatives of the victims said jewellery has been missing from the house. QAISER BASHIR, station house officer

SRINAGAR: Houses of two suspected coronavirus patients in Bandipora district of north Kashmir was allegedly robbed during the night as their entire family was in quarantine, police said on Monday.

Burglars struck at two houses in Saderkoot Bala area in the Hajin area of north Kashmir district during the night and decamped with valuables including gold jewellery, a police official said. The COVID-19 patient from the family has been admitted to a government hospital, while other members are at a quarantine centre.

“The burglars entered the house after breaking the windows of the houses. The whole family of the two suspected patients is in quarantine and as such there was no one in the house. Two of their family members were tested positive for Covid-19 who are admitted at SKIMS hospital in Srinagar,” said station house officer (SHO), Qaiser Bashir.

The incident came to fore after some people noticed broken pieces of trunks and suitcases outside the houses.

The SHO said the exact loss cannot be ascertained as the families are in quarantine. “The relatives of the victims said jewellery has been missing from the house,” he said.

The police have registered an FIR under Sections of 457 (lurking house-trespass or housebreaking by night) and 380 (theft in dwelling house) of the Indian Penal Code and investigations have been taken up.

The official said a forensics team will be assisted by a medical team to collect the evidence at the house.

THEFT TRIGGERS FEAR AMONG THOSE QUARANTINED

The burglary has prompted more worries for the families and also triggered fears among the quarantined that their houses are not safe. Bandipora senior superintendent of police Rahul Malik said he will augment the security measures near houses of those put in quarantine.

Malik, however, suspected that the burglary was the handiwork of some known people. “We suspect the involvement of some neighbours or miscreants of the area. We are trying to identify them, “he said.

Seven more persons including four in Kashmir were tested positive for Covid-19 in the Union territory on Monday taking the total count to 45. Of these two have died and two recovered.

Till Sunday, the government had informed that 6,465 travellers and persons in contact with suspected patients have been put under surveillance of which 3,260 persons have been kept under home quarantine while 307 are in hospital quarantine.