Ranchi, April 16: Repeated thefts in an apartment block in Anantpur under the Chutia police station of the capital has baffled the police, posing a challenge before them to nab the culprits.

Thefts have become very common in the area and the residents say they have lost faith in the upholders of law and order.

A case was registered with the Chutia police station today relating to a theft committed last night.

The informant, Hemant Kumar, is a resident of an apartment in Sahu Flats, Anantpur. He reported that some cash and his mobile phone worth Rs 22,000 was stolen from his flat on the third floor.

A similar incident had occurred in January this year and the victim had to part with his mobile phone.

The modus operandi of the thieves was the same and they entered the flat by scaling the walls of a neighbouring apartment.

The police had earlier refused to register a case of theft and tried to evade the aggrieved persons.

“The police did not cooperate with me and refused to record the FIR. They said it is the beginning of the month and it will not be good for their police station. They said they would register a case of lost property and agreed to record the FIR after much coaxing,” said Hemant, who is an advocate in the high court.

“The officer-in-charge of the police station did not come once to investigate the matter in January and no investigation was conducted by him. The lackadaisical approach of the police has encouraged the anti-socials to continue with their evil designs,” Hemant added.

Aparajita Dubey, another resident of Anantpur, said thefts have become very common in the area and every third day someone reports of missing property.

“Our house was once locked from the outside by the thieves while they went on the rampage upstairs. We were helpless and could not do anything to help our neighbours,” said Dubey.

“There are no guards in the area and after dark there is a threat to life and property. There are some people who loiter on the streets but there is no one to stop them and their actions seem to be mysterious. There are a few alcoholics also who roam the streets aimlessly. Anybody could be a party to the thefts occurring in the neighbourhood,” said another Anantpur resident Kiran Tiwary.

Chutia police station officer-in-charge A.K. Singh said the thefts in the area are being investigated the police expected to get a lead “very soon”.

“We have been to the place of occurrence and have scanned the place completely. There is also a possibility that somebody living in the building might have been involved in the thefts and we are trying to establish a connection between the repeated thefts in the area,” Singh said.