PULWAMA — In a span of just two weeks, a series of burglaries has left residents and traders in Pulwama town and its adjoining villages distraught, with several shops and workshops targeted under the cover of darkness.
According to details available with The Kashmir Pulse, the first major of the recent incidents occurred in the dead of night on February 1, when burglars broke into Highway Electronics Pulwama — located barely 500 meters from the local police station — and made off with electronic items worth nearly ₹3 lakh.
Shop owner Irshad Ahmad Ganaie came to know about the theft the next morning when the residents were leaving the mosque and filed a complaint at the nearby police station. CCTV footage revealed that the burglars had used a Maruti Alto car to transport stolen goods, including inverters, batteries, stabilizers, and motorcycle batteries. Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation, though no arrests have been made thus far.
Just over a week later, another incident was reported in the Pinglena area of Pulwama, where an automobile workshop owned by Sameer Ahmad was targeted on the intervening night of February 10 and 11. Thieves allegedly stole batteries from three vehicles parked inside the workshop. Sameer, however, had not filed a police report when this story was compiled.
In yet another major theft, burglars struck Rather Traders on the night of February 14–15. Owner Sajad-ur-Rehman told The Kashmir Pulse that items worth ₹4–5 lakh were stolen, including power pesticide sprayers, brush cutter machines, water pumps, and pipes.
Besides these reported cases, locals say several other burglary attempts have gone unreported. A resident of Prichoo village, who requested anonymity, recalled an incident on February 7 when burglars attempted to break into a house near the new Sumo Stand. A family member’s timely alert forced the intruders to flee.
The surge in nighttime thefts has left the business community anxious. Many traders have started removing valuable stock from their shops. Hafiz Hamid, a local tyre dealer, said he now keeps most of his stock at home out of fear of being robbed. “There’s no assurance that our shops are safe anymore. The thieves seem to be having a free run,” he said.
Local residents have urged the police to intensify night patrols and install more surveillance cameras in vulnerable areas. Police maintain that investigations are ongoing and that efforts are being made to identify the culprits.
The spurt in burglaries over a fortnight has ignited growing concern in Pulwama, where traders say their livelihoods — already under strain — now face an added threat from unrelenting night-time thefts.
