Jalandhar woke up on Monday to a robbery at a jewellery shop, marking the latest incident in a worrying pattern where several parts of Punjab’s Doaba region have witnessed repeated cases of thefts, armed robberies, cyber fraud, and an ATM break-in over the past few days—in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.In one of the most high-profile incidents, a gang of around a dozen thieves looted gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 70-80 lakh from Babbar Jewellers, located in Jalandhar’s Shahid Babu Labh Singh Nagar in the early hours of Monday.Citing CCTV footage, the police said the gang arrived at around 2.30 am wearing masks and gloves. Using iron rods and a shawl, they uprooted the shop’s shutter and gained entry within minutes. The theft lasted barely 10 minutes, during which the thieves targeted both the safe and jewellery kept at the counters.The shop’s owner, Gurpreet Singh, said he had closed the shop around 9 pm on Sunday. He was informed about the theft in the morning. The police were alerted around 6 am after locals noticed the damaged shutter. CCTV footage is being analysed to trace the theives and their movement, the police said, adding that they suspect the gang had prior knowledge of the shop’s layout. Robbers attempt to barge into the house of Lakhwinder Singh. (Express Photo)Robbery attempt foiled in Jalandhar WestOn December 28, two masked men armed with pistols attempted a robbery at a jewellery shop in a densely populated market area in Jalandhar West, the police said. The robbers pretended to enquire about a silver bracelet but soon brandished weapons at the woman present at the counter. Her husband Vipin Verma reacted swiftly by climbing over the counter and pushing the robbers out of the shop, while his wife followed. The robbers fled the spot as locals gathered.The police reached the scene immediately, and former MLA Sheetal Angural was also present. The incident has heightened fear among local traders, who are demanding stronger security measures and increased police presence.Around 1.30 am on December 26, armed robbers barged into the house of Lakhwinder Singh in the Awalpur area and looted cash worth Rs 1 lakh, 100 g of gold worth Rs 12-13 lakh, and other valuables at gunpoint. The same day, multiple other incidents of theft and looting were reported across the region.Story continues below this adIn Rampur Jagir village on December 25, thieves struck four houses during the day, stealing gold and silver jewellery weighing around 70 g along with cash. Ironically, a police post is located barely one kilometre from the affected area.ATM heist, cyber fraud and armed robberies across DoabaIn Phagwara’s Khajurala village, unidentified thieves uprooted an ATM machine of State Bank of India and made away with Rs 27 lakh in cash between 3 and 3.30 am on December 28. They reportedly arrived in a Swift car. Deputy Superintendent of Police Bharat Bhushan said investigations are underway in connection with the incident.And in Jalandhar’s Jain Colony, a resident named Amritpal Singh told the police that he had been defrauded out of Rs 12.17 lakh through an online investment app. He initially invested Rs 7.5 lakh, was shown fake profits, and was asked to pay additional “taxes” and “service charges”. When he attempted to withdraw the money, the fraud was exposed, the police said.Robbery suspects arrested after police encounterThe police arrested three robbery suspects following a brief encounter near Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur district on December 27. Police teams spotted a suspicious motorcycle without a number plate in the forest area of Rampur Bildon village. When signalled to stop, the suspects opened fire, according to the police. One of them, Onkar Singh alias Gora, sustained a bullet injury in the leg in police retaliation and was hospitalised, while Ram Asra alias Shami and Arman alias Manga were arrested on the spot.Story continues below this adThe police further said they had recovered two country-made pistols and ammunition from the suspects.Sandeep Malik, Senior Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, told the media that the three people were linked to a robbery at a money changer’s shop in Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur) on December 16, where over Rs 4 lakh was looted, and another gunpoint robbery in Hoshiarpur Sadar.Police sources said the robbers are taking advantage of the dense fog.CCTV footage has emerged as a critical tool for investigators in these cases, helping them track suspect movements and vehicles.Story continues below this adAuthorities say intensified patrols and intelligence-based operations are ongoing, but residents and business communities continue to voice serious concerns over safety, demanding faster action, stronger policing, and improved surveillance infrastructure.Pargat Singh, Congress MLA for Jalandhar Cantt, alleged that law and order in Punjab had deteriorated under the Aam Aadmi Party Government. He said that incidents of firing, killings, and armed robberies had created fear among residents and traders.“Punjab has become one of the worst states as far as law and order is concerned,” he said.