Manendragarh–Chirmiri–Bharatpur, India:
A major burglary has shaken residents of Chhirmiri city after unidentified thieves broke into a locked house and stole valuables worth an estimated ₹22–25 lakh (approximately 250,000). The incident occurred while the homeowner’s family was out of town for medical treatment.
According to police and local residents, the burglary took place in the SECL GM Complex Colony under the Podi police station area. The victim, Jay Sarkar, along with his family, had traveled to Bilaspur on January 28 for medical reasons. Taking advantage of the vacant house, the thieves allegedly conducted surveillance before executing the crime.
Police said the burglars entered the house by breaking the ventilator window and then forced open an interior door using an iron rod. They went on to break the locks of three almirahs and stole gold and silver jewelry worth nearly ₹20 lakh, around ₹20,000 in cash, and two laptop computers. After committing the theft, the suspects reportedly fled through the back door.
The family discovered the break-in after returning from Bilaspur. Inside the house, rooms were found ransacked, with broken cupboards and household items scattered across bedrooms and the kitchen.
Upon receiving information, Podi police arrived at the scene and launched an investigation. A case has been registered against unknown suspects, and police are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas to trace the culprits. However, no major leads have been found so far.
The incident has triggered anger and fear among residents of the GM Complex and surrounding colonies. Locals have raised concerns over inadequate police patrolling, stating that better night surveillance could have prevented the crime.
“We lost gold and silver jewelry worth nearly ₹20 lakh, along with other valuables and laptops. We want the police administration to take this matter seriously and arrest the thieves as soon as possible,” said victim Jay Sarkar.
Investigating officer Kamlesh Pandey confirmed that the burglars entered through the ventilator and broke open the almirah locks before escaping with the stolen items. He added that the investigation is ongoing and efforts are being made to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest.