The man who entered the three-storeyed house of Madhumita Mitra on Central Avenue on Wednesday night with a machete and robbed her of valuables and cash, had a clear idea of the building’s layout, including the room where the elderly woman stayed on the second floor and where she used to keep her costly belongings, police said.

The building has around eight rooms spread over different floors. The man ensured that the CCTV camera outside the room where Mitra and her domestic help lived was damaged before he entered, police added.

“The man covered his face and neck with a gamchha (towel) before entering the building. While leaving, he took off the towel making it difficult for the cops to
identify him from CCTV cameras outside the building on Central Avenue,” said a senior police officer.

The robbery at the three-storey house near the Central Avenue-Beadon Street occurred between 11.30 pm and midnight on Wednesday. Mitra caretakers who come in two shifts reported the incident to the police on Thursday morning.

Police said valuables worth ₹30 lakh and ₹15,000 were stolen from the house.

No arrests were made till late on Saturday.

Investigators said they were still trying to ascertain whether the man who allegedly entered Mitra’s bedroom on Wednesday night was known to someone in the house. Mitra’s help Gita Das and the caretaker on the night shift, Alok Sur aka Samir, were in the house during the heist on Wednesday night.

The police said the robber snatched the caretaker’s mobile phone before entering the second-floor room of Mitra. On his way out, he returned the mobile phone, the police said.

“Why would the person return the mobile phone? There are some missing links and we are trying to connect them. But the person who entered the house knew the building’s layout,” the officer said.

The 68-year-old woman told the police that after entering her room the man threatened to chop her into pieces if she dared to inform the police. Sources said the elderly woman would keep the salaries for her staff at home to avoid visiting the ATM too many times.

Police said they were trying to piece together information strands to understand if the person who entered the house on Wednesday night was informed about Mitra keeping money at home as she has been bedridden with a broken femur for the past few weeks.

On Saturday, a team of officers spoke to Mitra, her maid and the night shift caretaker for details.