Sikkim: Pakyong district police cracks two burglary cases within 30 hours, culprits arrested

The Pakyong District Police have successfully solved two burglary cases within a short span of 30 hours. The burglars had targeted a resort's restaurant and a nearby petrol pump, making away with a huge amount of cash and valuables on the night of August 20, 2023.

The initial report had described the break-in at the restaurant of the resort, followed by a theft at a neighboring petrol pump. Acting on the reported incident, the Pakyong District Police, under the guidance of SSP/ Pakyong, formed a team comprising ASP/ Pakyong, SHO Pakyong PS, SI Sangita Khatiwara, and undercover personnel from Pakyong PS. Their task was to uncover the identity of the culprits behind the theft case. 

The perpetrators had taken precautions to conceal their identities by wearing face masks and hoods during the crimes, making the initial identification a challenging task. However, a crucial lead emerged from a white sumo taxi spotted suspiciously moving in both areas where the burglaries had taken place. The police utilized advanced CCTV forensics analysis to scrutinize the footage, which helped generate leads on the suspects.

With collaboration from Sadar PS, Gangtok, the police identified the suspects and intensified their efforts. Keeping a vigilant watch on the Rangpo Check post at the border, the police managed to apprehend one of the main culprits, Sonam Sherpa, aged around 27,  residing in Gangtok, as he was attempting to escape to Nepal via Rangpo. Sherpa was found in possession of the stolen valuables and cash.

Another key accomplice, Vivek Chettri, alias Badal, also a resident of Gangtok, was nabbed from Metro Point Gangtok by the combined efforts of Sadar and Ranipool PS teams. Both Sherpa and Chettri are presently in police custody.