Patna: Armed criminals looted telephones, computers sets, cable wires and other electronic goods worth lakhs from a BSNL store under Sachivalya police station area on Tuesday night.

The crime took place in a high security zone adjacent to Sachivalya police station. Sources said the incident occurred around midnight when three persons in their mid-thirties entered the BSNL office and after assaulting security guards looted the equipment.

"It was around 12 midnight when three youths armed with knives and iron rods entered the storehouse and, after assaulting us, looted our equipment," said a security guard who was on duty on condition of anonymity. The security guards claimed the robbers, who were in an auto-rickshaw, ran with telephones sets, computers, cable wires and other electronic goods.

But the police ruled out loot. "Prima facie it appears that it was not loot but a theft incident," said Ramanuj, the in-charge SHO of Sachivalya police station. The police also claimed they were probing involvement of security guards in the incident as the BSNL office where the incident occurred has a boundary wall that is over 20 feet high and it is not possible for an individual to scale it without the support of a ladder.

The SHO said: "BSNL, in their written complaint, said equipment worth around Rs 2,000 was missing. The written complaint mentions theft and not loot, as said by the security guards."

Sources said though it is a case of theft, it poses a challenge for the police on night patrol as the scene of crime is adjacent to Sachivalya police station. "Patna police claim to be patrolling at night but we hardly see police patrolling our area," said Ramesh Sharma, a resident of Patel Nagar. "Police are only seen near major roads and roundabouts."