Taree’s Jashan Lounge owner begs burglars to stop looting her restaurant

A restaurant owner has been left in despair after her venue suffered two alleged break-ins only hours apart following a string of previous robberies – with thieves even taking a cancer charity donation box.

Jashan Lounge owners Harinder and Harteep Dhillon. Picture: Supplied.

A restaurant owner has been left in despair after her venue suffered two alleged break-ins only hours apart following a string of previous robberies – with thieves even taking a cancer charity donation box.

The Jashan Lounge Indian restaurant in Taree was allegedly looted twice in a 24-hour period with the first break-in occurring around 5.30am last Saturday morning and incredibly a second burglary occurring around 12.30am that night.

A 15-year-old boy has since been charged in connection with the alleged Sunday morning robbery and remains before the courts. Police are still investigating the Saturday morning break-in.

For Harteep Dhillon, who has run the business since she and husband Harinder moved to Taree 11 years ago, it was sadly an all too familiar experience having had three previous break-ins at the eatery.

“We stopped leaving a fair bit of cash there because we have learnt our lessons the first three times,” she said.

With no takings available, the thieves on Saturday morning allegedly instead took a tips jar and a charity box for cancer charity Can Assist.

Damage to the Jashan Lounge eatery. Picture: Supplied.

“We started that by putting money in and my kids have been contributing, my staff has been contributing and a lot of customers have been contributing to it,” Ms Dhillon said.

She did not know exactly how much money was in the locked box but thought it would have been a couple of hundred dollars.

Ms Dhillon said the early morning thieves appeared to have acted in a very “calm and organised” manner, even though the restaurant has alarms and security cameras, with the footage of the incident now with police.

Ms Dhillon estimated the overall liquor losses to be worth several thousand dollars.

During the break-ins a window was smashed and boxes left strewn on the floor.

“It just breaks my heart,” she said.

The owners have been left heartbroken and afraid after the alleged robberies. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Dhillon said she and her husband moved to Taree from Sydney to have a better family life while raising their four children but the repeated burglaries had made her question whether it was all worth it.

“We have been here for 11 years so it has become our life but it just keeps coming in and out of our heads “what’s happening, why are we still here?” she said.

“We have had very scary times. The kids get scared. The third time a break-in happened it scared me to the point where I was wondering ‘can I have my kids on the premises?’

“And obviously as a community we are going through a lot because of flooding. You can’t just keep doing this to people.”

NSW Police said a 15-year-old boy had arrested in connection with the alleged Jashan Lounge break-in on Sunday.

“Early morning on Sunday 13 July 2025, police began an investigation into two alleged break and enters, and an attempted break and enter, in the Taree CBD,” a police spokesperson said.

“Police were told that jewellery and cash were allegedly stolen.”

The teenage boy was arrested on Manning Street, Taree at about 5.30pm on Sunday.

Police said a search of the boy allegedly revealed 3.79g of cannabis.

The teen was taken to Taree Police Station, where he was charged with possessing a prohibited drug, break and enter house to steal, break and enter dwelling-house with intent, and attempted break and enter dwelling-house with intent.

He appeared before a children’s court on Monday where he was granted strict conditional bail to appear before the same court on Thursday August 7.

Investigations are ongoing.

Originally published as Taree’s Jashan Lounge owner begs burglars to stop looting her restaurant