Police said they have averted a theft at the Chitkohra house of a retired university teacher by arresting six persons who were plotting the crime.

The criminals, the police said, planned to loot retired Magadh University teacher Nooruddin Ashraf's house Imarat Villa at Chitkohra in the Gardanibagh area on Wednesday. Ashraf, popularly known as Nooru Babu, lives with his wife Roshan Ashraf, a GD Women's College teacher, their two sons and other family members.

'I was at my cold storage in Anisabad on Wednesday evening when I received a call from a sub-inspector,' Ashraf told The Telegraph. 'He told me they had information through their intelligence network that some criminals were planning to loot my house. He asked me to reach the house.'

The police suspected a domestic help, who earlier worked at the house of Ashraf's sister, of providing the criminals information. 'When I reached my house, the police were already there,' Ashraf said. 'Around 10pm, the officer told me six persons, including a woman, had been arrested from the Chitkohra roundabout.'

Gardanibagh police station house officer Shardendu Sharad said: 'The criminals have been arrested under sections 25 (1) A and B, 26 and 35 of the Arms Act, and sections 399 and 402 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit robbery).'

Ashraf's family is highly respected in the Chitkohra area, and apart from being university teachers the family also owns the Shalimar cold storage at Anisabad. Among their relatives are Patna High Court Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and retired bureaucrat Afzal Amanullah.

The domestic help, police said, worked for Ashraf's sister around six months ago. She had given information to her husband Munna, alias Faizal Khan, of the family keeping large amounts of cash and jewellery at the house. The couple also went to Ashraf's house on Bakr-Id to conduct a recce of the house, the police officers said.

Munna, his wife, Suraj Kumar, Suryakant, Vijay and Phoolendra were arrested.

Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said: 'The criminals had planned to enter the house with weapons, prepared to kill any family members if they resisted. None of the people arrested have criminal antecedents.'

The police recovered two country-made pistols, three cartridges and tools to break open almirahs and gates.