Kolkata: Thief steals two CCTV cams, caught on lens

KOLKATA: A thief who planned to break into an apartment complex in Garia on Tuesday night stopped short as CCTV cameras were installed at every corner, literally. So, he did what he thought was the next best thing: steal two of the cameras to try and sell them. What he did not realize was that those very cameras recorded the theft and the images were saved. Based on those grabs, cops tracked him down in less than 24 hours and promptly lodged an FIR.
The accused has been identified as Amir Ali Gazi alias Raja (27), a resident of Bizli in Garia. “We arrested the accused and sent him to court on Thursday. He had wrapped his face with a piece of cloth but we tracked him down, based on the clothes he wore that night that were captured on camera,” said an officer.
The two cameras were installed by Sabari Sengupta
(51), who lived in Block A of the complex, said the police. “She claimed around 9pm on February 19, she found the two CCTV cameras at her house stolen. His face wrapped, the accused entered the common parking-garage area and carried out the theft. We will find out whether he had planned to return to that flat, after taking the CCTV cameras away,” said an officer.
Police said it explained the importance of bringing CCTV cameras even in residential areas under cop purview. “Monitoring with cameras help us collate records and it has assisted us in a number of arrests,” said an officer.