Rajganj, 07th January: A spate of thefts at four consecutive shops late on Tuesday night has triggered panic among local traders at Panikauri More in Rajganj. The incident occurred under the cover of dense fog and severe cold along the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri National Highway.
According to local sources, shop owners discovered the thefts on Wednesday morning when they arrived to open their establishments and found the locks broken one after another. The affected shops include a grocery store owned by Ratan Debnath, a tea and biscuit shop run by Jhadu Debnath, a general goods and lottery shop belonging to Rajib Roy, and a tea stall operated by Basumati Roy.
Shopkeepers alleged that cash and some goods were stolen from each of the shops. While none of the establishments stocked expensive items, the owners said their hard-earned daily savings kept in cash boxes had been taken, pushing them into serious financial difficulty.
The incident has caused fear among business owners in the area, as four shops were targeted at the same location on the same night. Local traders have demanded increased police patrolling and stronger night-time security to prevent similar incidents in the future.