Police in Leicester have issued an appeal in Gujarati for information about the kidnapping and murder of a prominent jeweller on January 25, while several Indian-origin businessmen in the east Midlands city said on Thursday they were scared and felt unsafe after the crime.
The body of Ramniklal Jogiya, 74, was found some distance from his shop in the arterial Belgrave Road, sparking renewed concerns about safety in the area known as the “Golden Mile” because it is home to a large number of gold and jewellery shops.
Keith Vaz, senior Labour Party MP from Leicester East, convened a meeting on Wednesday evening at which tributes were paid to Jogiya and safety concerns expressed by several businessmen and residents. Senior police officials also attended the meeting.
Vaz reportedly told the audience: “Events are still unfolding but each and every one of you must be feeling very worried. This is the most famous road in Leicester, in my view. People from all over the world come here.
“This is an opportunity to bring us all together to make it even better and to show the people who want to come here to commit crimes that we have a zero tolerance of them and what they want to do. People are watching us and targeting us and that is why we need to work together.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is an opportunity to bring us all together to make it even better and to show the people who want to come here to commit crimes that we have a zero tolerance of them and what they want to do. People are watching us and targeting us and that is why we need to work together.”
{{/usCountry}}Watch: Appeal in Gujarati by Leicester Police for information on Indian-origin jeweller’s murder
A minute’s silence was observed at the meeting as charity organisation Crimestoppers announced a reward of £10,000 for information that will help police identify anyone responsible for the crime.
An unnamed jewellery shop-owner told Leicester Mercury, a leading daily: “People are so sad about what has happened to Mr Jogiya. But we are also scared. We don’t know who is coming into our shops.”
Another business owner said: “When people come to your door you wonder ‘who is this person?’ because we are all on edge here at the moment. We all feel unsafe."
Deputy chief constable Roger Bannister sought to reassure the audience that the best possible resources were working round the clock to bring the killers to justice. Detective chief superintendent David Sandall gave an update on the investigation.
Sandall said: “The most experienced detectives from across the region have been working round the clock since last Thursday. They have been meticulously going through every piece of information and CCTV footage, visited over 400 houses and carried out numerous searches.”
Of the seven persons arrested so far, three have been charged - Thomas Jervis, 23, Charles Frances Mcauley, 20, and Callan Reeve, 19. They have been remanded to appear at Leicester Crown Court on February 28.