Patna: Burglars broke into a locked flat in an apartment on Jagat Narayan Road in Kadamkuan area of Patna on Sunday night and escaped with cash, gold and silver jewellery, and other valuables while the occupants were away in Ujjain. Before carrying out the theft, they allegedly locked two neighbouring flats from outside to prevent residents from stepping out.According to police, burglars broke into the locked flat of Dr R K Sinha after cutting open the lock with a heavy-duty cutter while the family was away in Ujjain on a pilgrimage to Mahakal temple. Police said the exact value of the stolen cash, jewellery and other belongings would be known after the family returns and verifies the missing items.In an apparent attempt to avoid detection, the burglars locked two neighbouring flats, numbered 101 and 103, from the outside before carrying out the theft. Resident Simmi Jha said she and her sister-in-law found their doors locked from outside when they woke up on Monday morning.“My sister-in-law wakes up around 4 am for yoga. When she found her door locked from outside, she called me. I then realised my door had also been locked. We later called a relative, who helped open both doors,” Jha said.The burglary came to light after residents noticed that the main door of Dr Sinha’s flat was open and the lock had been damaged. A search of the flat revealed that household items had been ransacked and strewn across the rooms. Police were informed on Monday morning.Kadamkuan SHO Janmejay Rai said the occupants were away when the incident occurred and an investigation had been launched after receiving information about the burglary. “A police team inspected the flat and recovered a cutter believed to have been used in the break-in. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being scanned to identify the suspects and trace their movements,” he said.The SHO further said the apartment complex did not have CCTV cameras and the security guard was asleep when the burglary took place.
