⭐️ CG Sarafa Association State President Kamal Soni leads honouring of ‘Operation Gold’ team for cracking major jewellery loot within 24 hours
⭐️ IG Ramgopal Garg stresses public participation in policing, calls vigilance collective responsibility
⭐️ SSP Rajnesh Singh outlines strict security protocols, warns of action against non-compliant jewellers
By : Akshay Lahre
Bilaspur : In the wake of the recent high-profile jewellery robbery at Mahalakshmi Jewellers in Rajkishore Nagar and another incident reported days later in Sipat, the Bilaspur police on Thursday held a comprehensive security review meeting with jewellery traders to reinforce preventive measures and institutional coordination. The meeting, chaired by Senior Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh, was held at Chetna Hall in Bilasa Gudi and witnessed participation from jewellers across the district.
Prior to the meeting, the Chhattisgarh Sarafa Association, under the leadership of its State President Kamal Soni, formally felicitated the Bilaspur police team that cracked the inter-state robbery case within 24 hours under ‘Operation Gold’. Inspector General of Police Ramgopal Garg, SSP Rajnesh Singh, Additional SP Pankaj Patel and the 11-member police team involved in the operation were honoured with shawls and mementos in recognition of their swift and coordinated action.
Addressing the gathering, Kamal Soni expressed gratitude to the Bilaspur police, describing the operation as historic given the scale of the robbery. He said the prompt arrest of the accused and safe recovery of the looted valuables within a day had restored confidence among traders and sent a strong deterrent message to organised crime networks. He also acknowledged the crucial assistance extended by the Uttar Pradesh Police during the operation.
IG Ramgopal Garg, while briefing the attendees, said the police swung into action immediately upon receiving information about the incident. He noted that a detailed assessment at the crime scene was followed by coordinated deployment involving Additional SP Pankaj Patel, CSP Nimitesh Singh and other officers, which ultimately led to the arrest of the gang within 24 hours. The IG underlined that effective policing is not possible without public cooperation and stressed that citizens must recognise their moral responsibility to report suspicious activities promptly.
During the security review, SSP Rajnesh Singh apprised jewellers of mandatory safety standards to prevent future incidents. He said that while the recent robberies posed significant challenges, coordinated teamwork ensured successful outcomes. To avoid recurrence, jewellers were issued specific guidelines, including the compulsory installation of high-quality CCTV surveillance systems in shops. He cautioned that frequent transportation of gold and silver articles increases risks to life and property and advised traders to create robust in-shop storage arrangements to minimise exposure.
Concluding the meeting, Kamal Soni assured that the Sarafa Association would ensure strict compliance with the police directives. He announced that membership renewal of traders would be undertaken in April and made it clear that members failing to adhere to prescribed security norms would not be renewed.
The meeting marked a decisive step towards strengthening crime prevention mechanisms and reaffirmed the growing synergy between law enforcement agencies and the trading community in Bilaspur.
