The fingerprint expert (left) and police officials at the school on Wednesday. Picture by Nantu Dey

Raiganj, Jan. 7: A fingerprint expert from Calcutta arrived here today to investigate the heist in St Xavier’s School at Chhotaparua. A gang of armed robbers had on Sunday decamped with Rs 70,000 from the principal’s chamber after injuring the guard of the institution.

Yesterday, a sniffer dog was brought from Siliguri to locate the route taken by the gang members in entering and leaving the school premises, 7km from here. However, the prompt action by North Dinajpur district police has drawn flak from many quarters at a time when a number of crimes, including murder cases, are yet to be solved by the law enforcers.

On Monday night, thieves broke into the post office and also into an adjacent jewellery shop at Kunor in Kaliaganj

The Kaliaganj police said the thieves took away Rs 1,000 and postage stamps from the post office. From the jewellery shop, they took away gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 1.5 lakh. Cases have been registered for both the incidents.

The owner of the jewellery shop, Amit Pal, said he had bagged many orders for the wedding season. “On Monday night, I along with one of my workers had left the shop late in the evening. The next morning, I saw the shutters broken and the safe burgled. I immediately complained to the police who came looked around and went away,” he added.

The superintendent of police of North Dinajpur, Sankar Singha, defended the prompt action taken for the school robbery. He said the Kaliaganj police had not informed him of the jewellery theft even after 24 hours of the crime.

“These thefts do not need any supportive investigations. But in the case of Chhotaparua, the issue is different as it is a crime in an educational institution and also the school is among the best in the district. We have already rounded up four men, while no one has been arrested in connection with the Kunor incident.”

Singha said Arijit Chakrabarty, the fingerprint expert, completed his job today. “I have got some leads which I will not disclose at this stage,” Chakrabarty said.The district Youth Congress president, Sandeep Biswas, said if the police took as much care to serve the common people, he would welcome the move. “Most of the crimes that take place in the district remain unsolved,” he alleged.

Subir Biswas, a member of the CPM’s district secretariat, admitted that the robbery at the school was a serious one. “But the police should have the same response in solving other crimes also.”