Cooch Behar, Jan. 1: The Forward Bloc took out a rally to protest against alleged police inaction in preventing a dacoity that occurred in the house of a trader in Dinhata early today.

Police said three robbers held the family members of the trader, Chandlal Maheswari, at gunpoint and looted cash and jewellery worth over Rs 5 lakh. Maheswari’s house is located along the busy Dinhata-Shahebganj road.

“We are protesting not only against the dacoity but also the gradual deterioration in police vigil,” said the Dinhata secretary of the Forward Bloc, Shankar Dutta.“It was around 1 am when three youths entered my room and threatened me. They then took all our valuables from the almirah and the safe,” Maheswari said today. He said the dacoits cut the telephone line as soon as they entered and kept reminding him that there were more gang-members outside.

“We think the three dacoits had entered the premises much earlier and had hidden in the bushes. We have picked up some suspects and they are being interrogated,” said Dinhata officer-in-charge, Dipen Tamang.