Covered-face entry banned in jewellery shops

Jharkhand Police ban covered faces in jewellery shops to enhance security and identification after a failed robbery attempt in Bokaro.

In a major security measure aimed at preventing crimes in jewellery establishments, Jharkhand Police have issued a circular prohibiting entry into jewellery shops with covered faces, people aware of the development said on Tuesday. The directive makes it mandatory for customers to keep their faces fully visible to enable clear identification through CCTV footage.

Covered-face entry banned in jewellery shops

The move comes in the backdrop of a recent attempted loot at a jewellery showroom in Bokaro on Sunday evening, in which masked miscreants failed to execute the crime and fled after an alarm was raised. Police officials said the decision was intended to deter criminals and strengthen surveillance-based policing across the state, following the model adopted earlier in Bihar.

Confirming the instructions during an inspection of Baghmara police station on Monday evening, Bokaro Range DIG Anand Prakash while talking to media persons said strict compliance would be ensured. “I am keeping a close eye on both the district of Dhanbad and Bokaro and no big incident has taken place ever since I joined the office except the failed jewellery shop loot attempt of Bokaro of Sunday evening,” he told the media.

Referring to the police HQ circular, the DIG said, “The police headquarter of Jharkhand has also issued a circular in this regard that in any of jewellery shops across Jharkhand especially in the large jewellery shops no body can go inside with covered faces, including masks. Women also can’t enter with hijab etc. and their face should be open and not covered.”

Speaking about the attempted robbery, he said the incident was foiled due to the alertness of the security guard. “An incident was averted in Bokaro on Sunday when a dacoity attempt was made by seven persons as the guard sensed some trouble when he spotted people with covered faces and pressed the alarm button, compelling the criminals to flee the site,” he said.

The DIG warned that those violating the directive would be treated with suspicion. “Thus it would be advice of the police not to visit any jewellery shop with covered faces otherwise he will be treated as suspect and due proceedings will be initiated against him,” he added.

Police officials said the instructions would apply across the state and were aimed at ensuring a safer environment for traders and customers, while improving the ability of law enforcement agencies to identify offenders quickly.