Amid the state-wide lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a miscreant has looted liquor worth Rs 25,000 and Rs 8,000 in cash from a wine shop in Hyderabad, police said on Saturday.
CCTV footage revealed that the accused had made an entry into the shop by removing a grill on the ceiling. Though the theft took place on March 31, owners of the outlet did not notice it until Friday.
The shopowners were checking the CCTV cameras installed in and around the shop through their mobile phones as the shop remains locked due to the ongoing lockdown.
The owners noticed that the feed from two cameras was not coming. So they went to the shop on Friday and noticed that wires of the camera installed at the entrance were cut and after opening the shop they realised that the liquor and cash were missing.
#Hyderabad
— Abhinay Deshpande|అభినయ్ देशपांडे (@iAbhinayD) April 4, 2020
An unidentified man broke into a wine shop in Bhoiguda and decamped with 26 whiskey bottles. A probe is on to identify and nab the person. @THHyderabad @the_hindu @hydcitypolice pic.twitter.com/grViZmtblM
They immediately alerted the police and officials of the Prohibition and Excise department. The shop is located opposite to the state-run Gandhi Hospital and was closed due to the ongoing lockdown.
Along with liquor bottles, the intruder decamped with Rs 8,000 in cash, the police said. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
It was earlier reported that the closure of all wine shops, bars and pubs across all states due to the COVID-19 lockdown is resulting in many people experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
In Telangana, the Institute of Mental Health in Hyderabad's Erragadda is witnessing a massive influx of alcoholics, experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, as they have no source of liquor.
Helpline numbers:
Kerala: DISHA - 1056, 0471 2552056
Telangana State Mental Health Authority: 040- 23814441, 040 23814442
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With PTI inputs