Burglars broke into an apartment of a cattle fodder dealer in Narkeldanga in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and left with cash and other valuables worth Rs 1.5 lakh.According to the police, the burglars managed to break into the house around 3.30 am while Mahadev Prasad Sharma (59) was still in his shop.For Sharma, who lives with his nephew Moolchand (44), it is his habit to conduct a daily puja in his shop after finishing his work.“I start the puja around 1 am. Last night, I sent my nephew to our rooms to get some puja related articles. He returned at 1 am and we began the puja. When we went home after a couple of hours, we found the door broken.”The burglars found the key to his closet, kept beneath the mattress. “They then took Rs 1,53,000 kept in the almirah. Clothes and personal articles were scattered all over the floor. They also took a watch, but did not touch anything else,” said Sharma.“We have no clue as to who exactly committed the crime. But we feel that it has to be someone who is known to us and is well-versed with our daily puja routine,” he said.The police today have made several visits. It’s a big blow for us, as we are unable to make any payments, said Sharma.While investigating officers said that it was too early to comment, they too were of the opinion that the crime could have been committed by someone who was known to Sharma. “The time of the crime is very important as someone obviously knows that Sharma conducts late night puja in his shop. We are investigating into the matter,” said a police officer.
