Patna, Jan. 7: Investigation into the theft at a government bungalow in Katihar has revealed that Shikha Rani, a postgraduate medical student and the wife of Saran district magistrate Deepak Anand, was staying in the house that had been allotted to the Katihar sub-election officer.

Katihar district magistrate Lalan Jee confirmed today that the government quarters in which Shikha, a student at Katihar Medical College, was living with her children was allotted to the sub-election officer of Katihar. "It was on her (Shikha's) personal request that the officer concerned allowed her to stay in his bungalow for the time being," Lalan Jee told The Telegraph over phone from Katihar.

Lalan Jee, however, refused to disclose the name of the government official who had provided accommodation to the medico wife of Saran district magistrate Anand, a 2007 batch IAS officer. Lalan Jee, sources said, has asked for the list of allottees of government quarters in Katihar after a report was published in The Telegraph on Saturday on how the theft - of jewellery and a TV set - that was discovered earlier this week has sparked murmurs of abuse of power.

Calls to Anand's mobile phone number went unanswered through the day.

A senior official in the Katihar district administration said on the condition of anonymity that initially Shikha had agreed to stay in the hostel of the medical college. But she decided to shift to a government bungalow in Katihar, around 300km northeast of Patna, as she was finding it difficult to keep the children with her in the institute.

It was then, sources said, that Shikha's stay was ensured in the government quarters located beside the official residences of the Katihar district magistrate and superintendent of police. "It is perhaps because of security reasons that she (Shikha) decided to stay in a government quarter with her children," the official said.

The sources said that Shikha, during her stay in the bungalow, was availing all the facilities which a senior government official is entitled to. Apart from the bungalow, she was provided a driver, cook and house guard. A lady home guard constable was deputed as cook at the residence. Similarly, a home guard jawan identified as Krishna Murari Sharma was assigned as driver.

Shikha's stay in the bungalow came into focus following the discovery of theft of jewellery worth Rs 4 lakh and a TV set from the house on January 2, when she returned from vacation.

Sharma, the home guard jawan and a resident of Naugachhia in Bhagalpur district, was arrested and forwarded to jail on Friday for his alleged involvement in the theft. His son Mritunjay has alleged that Sharma was kept in police custody for three days and tortured at the behest of the IAS officer's wife.

Mritunjay has sought the intervention of the office-bearers of the home guard association after senior police officials refused to listen to his plea that his father was innocent. "It was at their (association leaders) behest that the local police station decided to send him to jail on Friday, three days after he was picked up for interrogation," Mritunjay said.

The police have also detained a cook assigned to the district welfare officer in connection with the theft. The welfare officer's quarters is located on the same premises as the bungalow in which Shikha used to live.

Amit Kumar, the station house officer of Sahayak police station in Katihar district, said the police would crack the case at the earliest. "We have accorded top priority to the case," he said, adding that the police have prepared a list of thieves operating in the government officers' colony, home to the top officials of the district.