A gang of robbers looted a vacant house at Balurghat on Friday night after locking the gates of at least five nearby residences to prevent neighbours from coming out in case they sensed something wrong.

The burglary occurred at Padmapukur in Ward 9 of the town. According to sources, the burglars first bolted the gates of five to six nearby houses from the outside to prevent the residents from stepping out, even if they sensed something suspicious. They then broke open the lock of a nearby vacant house and carried out the crime.

The thieves allegedly ransacked two rooms of the house, broke open cupboards and fled with around ₹12,000 in cash, around 30 grams of gold and two silver idols.

The theft came to light in the morning when the neighbours woke up and found themselves locked in their homes. Soon after, they discovered that a burglary had taken place in the adjacent house.

A complaint has been lodged at the Balurghat police station, following which they have initiated a probe.

Police sources said the house belongs to Sumit Roy. His wife, Ruby Das Roy, had travelled to Calcutta a few days earlier, while Roy himself was away for work, leaving the house unoccupied. Taking advantage of the situation, the burglars targeted the house.

“My daughter’s in-laws live in Calcutta and have built a house here. Since no one was staying there, the theft took place. Many items have been stolen, but the exact details will be known once my daughter returns. A written complaint has been filed at the police station,” said Jyotsna Das, Ruby’s mother.

Robin Sarkar, a neighbour, said they were surprised to find that someone had locked their main gate.

“Our main door was bolted from the outside with a latch, so we couldn’t come out. Later, someone from another house opened it after being informed over the phone. Then we realised that a burglary had taken place next door. We are worried over the incident,” he said.

The residents have alleged that despite repeated incidents of theft in Balurghat, the police have failed to curb such crimes. In recent months, many burglaries have been reported from the town and its suburbs, like Chakbhirgu, Vivekananda Club area, Raghunathpur Dangi, Nalatihar More, Dhaul, Malancha, and Nambanga.

Many of the cases remain unresolved.

Chinmay Mittal, the superintendent of police of South Dinajpur, said: “Our officers are gathering information about the gang that was involved in the burglary.”