An octogenarian staying alone at her Bansdroni home was allegedly robbed of ₹1.5 lakh and valuables by a woman who had been her caregiver for the past 20 years.

The elderly woman discovered her cash and valuables missing only after her
house help suddenly stopped coming to work and became unreachable.

Instead of going to the police station that is a stone’s throw away from her home, Bakul Chowdhury, a retired teacher, chose to travel more than 60km away to
confront the woman she had trusted the most in the last two decades.

When Hashi Mandal denied the charges, her employer was left with no option other than reporting it to the police.

Hashi was arrested from her home at Basanti in South 24-Parganas on Saturday. She was produced before a court on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody.

According to the elderly woman, Hashi had free access to her cupboard keys and had allegedly made a duplicate key without her knowledge or consent. The woman alleged that Hashi used it to steal ₹1.5 lakh and silver valuables.

The police said a raid was conducted at the accused’s house after the woman lodged a complaint at Bansdroni police station on Friday.

A portion of the cash — ₹25,000 and the silver valuables were recovered from her possession.