Bihar: Jewellers not to sell ornaments to customers with their faces covered

Patna: In a bid to curb thefts, jewellers in Bihar have decided not to sell ornaments to customers entering shops with their faces covered, a traders' association said on Wednesday.

The state unit of the All India Jewellers and Goldsmith Federation (AIJGF) has asked its members not to display and sell jewellery items to those who visit the outlets wearing face masks.

Talking to reporters here, AIJGF Bihar unit president Ashok Kumar Verma said, "We have decided not to sell items to customers who enter with their faces covered. We will not display and sell jewellery items to women wearing 'hijab', or anyone with a face mask".

The decision was taken for "security reasons and for the safety of jewellers and customers", he said.

Several incidents have taken place in various parts of the country where masked robbers have looted jewellery shops.

"If customers enter jewellery shops with their faces covered, we can't identify them. The move will also help the police ascertain the identity of customers through CCTV footage in case of any theft," Verma said.

Masked criminals looted ornaments worth Rs 25 crore from an outlet in Bhojpur district in March last year, while a jewellery shop was robbed in Siwan in November.