Packers hired via social media under suspicion of stealing valuables reported by family
Telegraph | 3 April 2026
A family that recently moved from one part of Behala to a new home in nearby Parnasree has reported a theft of valuables they had secured in a cupboard locker before a packer and mover — booked through social media — arrived to collect it.
“It is a local company we found on social media,” said Parthasarathi Ghosh, a teacher.
He refrained from sharing details, citing the ongoing probe.
The family relocated last Saturday.
On Monday, the family realised that their valuables were missing.
“The complainant’s wife was arranging the cupboard when she opened the locker and discovered that several jewellery boxes and a few ziplocked bags, which contained the valuables, were empty,” said an officer of Parnasree police station.
The family reported the matter to the police.
The complainant suspects that the porters whom the company had sent for the job were behind the theft, the police said.
Ghosh has claimed that no one from the family was present at the new house when the unpacking was done.
Sources said the family had contacted the company’s owner and informed him of the theft and their suspicion.
The company has, however, claimed innocence.
Based on a complaint lodged by the family, officers of Parnasree police station have started a theft case against unknown persons.
“We have started an investigation. The suspects will be identified and examined,” said an officer of the south-west division of Kolkata Police.
No one had been arrested till Thursday evening.
Shifting is common in the city, and families often rely on small companies without any background checks.
It is important to verify the background of the packers and movers before hiring them, said a police officer.