Kolkata: What was supposed to be a quiet homecoming after days of travel turned into a scene of shock for a doctor couple in Salt Lake. As the Senguptas unlocked the door, they stepped into a ransacked home with broken locks, scattered belongings and deactivated security cameras staring back at them.
Despite nine CCTV cameras being installed, the house had no footage to offer investigators any clue; the digital video recorder was missing and the wires severed.
The burglary occurred at a two-storey house at BB Block in Salt Lake when the owner, of Priyadarshi Sengupta, and his wife were away at a medical conference in Vizag between Dec 7 and Dec 16. Police said the incident came to light around 8.30 pm on Dec 16, when the couple returned home.
Several items, including a 32-inch smart TV, two gas cylinders, a small red trolley bag, two blazers and various household articles, were reported stolen. "The main door lock and several internal locks were broken. The house was ransacked. As we didn't have any jewellery or cash at home, they took away household items, including LPG cylinders and boxes of spices," said Sengupta, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
According to the complaint lodged at Bidhannagar North PS, the intruders appeared to have disabled the house's surveillance system. "CCTV cameras installed at nine points inside and around the house were deactivated, their cables being torn and the 16-channel CP Plus DVR removed. It was a calculated move to ensure no visual evidence of the burglary remained," said a senior Bidhannagar City Police officer.
Sengupta told police that on discovering the burglary, he went straight to neighbours, asking about if they were aware of the burglary but none reportedly heard any suspicious sound during the period of the couple's absence. He then informed the secretary of the BB Block Residents' Association about it and contacted the police.
Cops said they have started a case and are examining possible entry points, checking for tool marks on doors and locks, and scanning neighbouring buildings and roads for external cameras that may have captured the suspects.