Cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 10 lakh were stolen from a third-floor flat in Nakuleswar Bhattacharjee Lane, near Kalighat tram depot, on Monday night.

The theft came to light when Hansa U. Parekh and her daughter woke up around 8.30 on Tuesday morning and stepped out of their bedroom.

Hansa’s husband Ushakant was in Jamshedpur and returned on Tuesday morning.

The cash and the valuables were stolen from an almirah in a room that opens on to a balcony. “The door leading to the balcony, which doesn’t have a grille cover, is usually kept open at night,” said an officer of Tollygunge police station.

“The thieves possibly knew that the door was open. They must have taken the flight of steps to the terrace and then climbed down to the Parekh balcony. As the door was ajar, they had no problem walking into the four-room flat,” the officer added.

“The keys to the almirah must have been lying somewhere around,” the officer said. “The mother and the daughter didn’t hear anything possibly because the airconditioner of their room was on and the door and windows were all closed.”

The guard of the four-storeyed Debjani Apartments did not notice anyone entering the building. “The gang must have come in the early hours when the guard fell asleep,” the officer said.” The family said it did not have any servant. “We had hired a part-time help five months ago but she has quit. There is no reason to suspect her,” said Ushakant.