Police bust gang targeting locked houses in Davangere; Seize stolen gold worth Rs 25.75 Lakh
Davangere: In a major breakthrough, the police have apprehended a gang involved in targeting locked houses on the outskirts of the city and recovered stolen gold jewelry worth Rs 25.75 lakh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Maruti, Shivraj Lamani, Sunil Lamani, Manoj Lamani, Abhishek, and Mahantesh, all residents of Govinda Barangay in Ranebennur, Haveri district.
The gang's activities came to light after a resident of Dollars Colony, Dr. Thippeswamy, filed a complaint with the Vidyanagar police station. Dr. Thippeswamy had locked his house and left for a relative's wedding on June 4, only to discover upon his return that thieves had broken the lock and stolen valuables worth around Rs 31 lakh, including gold and silver items.
Acting on the complaint, the police launched an investigation into the case and successfully apprehended the gang responsible for the series of thefts in the highway areas. The police arrested the six-member gang and recovered stolen cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 25.75 lakhs.
Operating under the name "Young Star Gang," the group would discreetly ride around residential areas adjacent to the highway, gathering information on locked houses and their occupants. The gang primarily targeted houses owned by single women and would break in late at night to steal gold jewelry. In some instances, they would also remove the CCTV camera DVR along with the stolen items.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
