Thieves go on looting spree in Durgapur, celebrate their own Dhanteras
The Statesman | 22 October 2025A gang of thieves raided three adjacent residential quarters in the State Bank of India Staff Colony near the City Centre here, defying the protection supposed to be provided by the colony’s own security guards and CCTV surveillance system. It was as if the bandits were observing their own style of dhanteras, the popular occasion prior to Diwali when people procure jewellery and costly items, but legally by purchasing from shops.
The homes of Rupak Chatterjee, Manas Mahato and Vijendra Kumar were looted. Chatterjee and Mahato are the managers of SBI’s Viswakarma Nagar and City Centre branches respectively, while Kumar is a cashier at the City Centre branch. All of them were away, vsiting their respective hometowns for the Diwali holidays, bank officials said.
CCTV grabs did reveal that the thieves had entered the colony by climbing the western boundary wall, which is towards the deserted part of the town. They continued their looting spree for at least a couple of hours, without being detected, let alone face being resisted. The three security guards later guessed that the gang comprised at least three members, though the police neither confirmed nor denied this.
The house of an elderly couple was also looted at Sabuj Nagar, about 7 km from City Centre within the same Durgapur Police Station area on the same night. Here, thieves looted Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and gold jewellery worth Rs 11 lakhs from an apartment. Shyamalendu Majumdar, the house owner, had gone on a 10-day tour with his wife.
Arpita Majumdar, daughter of the couple, also resides in a separate flat in the same apartment complex. She recalled: “I went to check my parent’s flat since they were away and was shocked to see that the thieves had broken open the almirahs and taken away the entire cash and jewellery. I immediately contacted the police.”
The police suspect that two different gangs were involved in the two lootings. They have began a hunt but none of the members from the gangs of thieves has been traced till this late this evening. “Investigations are continuing,” a police official said today.
