Jewellers to observe bandh tomorrow against 'burqa' menace

Pune, Dec 28 (UNI) The Pune Saraf Association (PSA), a representative body of city jewellers, today announced that they will observe a bandh tomorrow to demand that the State Home Ministry grant them permission to display boards that will carry instructions restricting the entry of ''burqa clad'' customers into their premises, until they unveiled for the security cameras. PSA vice-president Popatlal Solanki told UNI that in the past three months alone, a total of 25 cases of armed dacoities, many in broad daylight, have occurred causing losses that run into crores of rupees.

''We only get to hear that the police is investigating. However, the police themselves are clueless and lack seriousness in their investigations. The most alarming trend that has surfaced recently, is that in practically all these dacoities, jewellers have been physically attacked'', he alleged.

However, no arrests have been made till date, he lamented.

Citing examples, he said that in a leading city jewellers shop, M B Ashtekar, around two to three months ago, a tray of rings were robbed. Similarly at S S Parmar's shop, around 70-80 gms of gold were stolen. In Shirur taluka, a jeweller was security injured and required 50 stitches on his head. Almost all the robbershad come donning a burqa to evade identification,'' he claimed.

''We have nothing against any community but as the surveillance cameras fail to identify the robbers, we are demanding that those veiled unveil before the camera for indentification.'' Mr Solanki said.

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