Gold and silver jewellery worth around ₹35 lakhs were allegedly stolen from the house of a wholesale trader, Arun Jindal, in Baroduari under Harishchandrapur police station of Malda on Sunday night.
According to the trader, his family was away from home during the night when the theft occurred. CCTV footage shows a gang of five breaking into the house and fleeing with jewellery and other valuables.
“Criminals took away ornaments and valuables worth around ₹ 35 lakh,” Jindal said in his police complaint.
Uzzal Saha, president of the Malda Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged the police to take prompt action to recover the stolen goods and ensure security for traders.
The police said a probe has been initiated and CCTV footage was being closely examined.
Harishchandrapur is near the Bihar border, and criminal gangs crossing over from the neighbouring state has been a recurrent problem.
Arrest
A team from the Ashighar police outpost under the Siliguri Metropolitan Police arrested a person in connection with a theft that took place in Niranjannagar, ward 36 of Siliguri. The accused, Jabdul Hussain, is a resident of Jaigaon, the police said.
Police sources said on October 23, criminals broke into a residence in Niranjannagar and stole gold ornaments, a cell phone, and ₹10 lakh in cash. Following the complaint, police initiated a probe and arrested Hussain from Jaigaon the same day. They also recovered the stolen jewellery, the cell phone, and ₹6 lakh in cash. Probe is on to trace the remaining sum and find out others involved in the case.
Drug peddlers
Alipurduar police arrested two persons attempting to sell brown sugar (a derivative of heroin) at Chepani Chowpathi area of Alipurduar-II block on Sunday night.
The duo, Sujit Barman and Biplab Das, are residents of Barobisha. Around 18 grams of the narcotics were recovered from them.
On Monday, both were produced in a local court, which ordered five days in police custody for Barman and 14 days in judicial custody for Das.