A 32-year-old man was arrested in Nadia on Wednesday in connection with a theft in a sari shop-cum-godown on Shakespeare Sarani last week. Cash and saris worth Rs 62,000 were stolen from the shop.

Police said Bapi Das, an employee of DD Udyog Ltd, managed to stay back in the store after it was closed on Saturday evening.

“While the other employees were leaving around 6.30pm, Bapi hid himself in a corner,” said an officer of Shakespeare Sarani police station.

“Later, he broke open the vault, took out the money and stuffed expensive saris into a jute bag. He then removed the air-conditioning duct and fled after climbing down a pipe,” the officer added.

The theft was discovered on Monday morning when the owner opened the shop. “The vault was lying on the floor and the shop was ransacked. He immediately called up Shakespeare Sarani police station,” the officer.

Suspecting an insider’s role in the theft, the sleuths interrogated all employees except Bapi, who was absconding. The police finally picked up Bapi from a relative’s house in Nadia. During interrogation, Bapi broke down and confessed to the crime.