Chakradharpur: A Chakradharpur electronics shop was robbed again late on Sunday night, with thieves stealing smartphones worth lakhs of rupees and other electronic goods from Rashmi Electronics on the city’s main road. The criminals broke open the shop’s main shutter and entered the premises before ransacking it. Shop owner Ashish Padiya discovered the theft when he arrived to open the shop on Monday morning and found empty mobile boxes on the racks and goods scattered across the floor. He then informed the police.
Several mobile phone boxes inside the shop were found empty, with the expensive smartphones missing. Other electronic items were also reported stolen. The trader and police are assessing the exact value of the stolen goods. The manner of the break-in has led to suspicion that the criminals may have conducted a recce of the shop beforehand and were aware of the valuable items kept inside.
Second theft at the shop in three months Rashmi Electronics has been targeted for the second time in about three months. On 23 July 2026, the same shop was burgled, with thieves entering through a broken ventilator and stealing iPhones, expensive mobile phones, laptops and other goods worth more than Rs 46 lakh. The criminals also took away the digital video recorder (DVR) of the shop’s CCTV system. Police arrested some suspects in that case, but most of the stolen goods have not yet been recovered.
The previous incident had triggered anger among local traders, following which the traders’ association called for a Chakradharpur bandh. The Chaibasa Chamber of Commerce also supported the shutdown. The repeat theft has now increased traders’ concerns over security arrangements and policing in the city.
Soon after receiving information about the latest incident, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dr Syed Mustafa Hashmi reached the spot with a Chakradharpur police team and inspected the scene. Police are examining CCTV footage from cameras installed around the shop and are working to identify and arrest those involved. The second theft at the same shop has also raised questions over the city’s security arrangements and the effectiveness of crime control measures.
