Panic gripped Kailashahar town after unidentified thieves broke into and vandalised a shop belonging to a senior local BJP functionary in the Hawkers’ Corner area under cover of night, making off with valuables and smashing fixtures inside.
The shop, run by veteran tailor Himangshu Das for the past forty years, was found with its iron grille and main door broken on Friday morning after locals alerted the village head. Three sewing machines, ten chairs, cloth bundles and other items were missing, while the ceiling fan and other fittings were destroyed.
Kailashahar police reached the spot and began investigation, later recovering part of a sewing machine from nearby jungle. BJP Unakoti district committee president Bimal Kar and other party leaders visited the site to inquire into the incident, given Das’s long association with the party.
Police are examining CCTV footage from neighbouring shops and have reportedly identified several suspects, with arrests expected soon. Das said he never imagined such an incident occurring in a densely populated area, calling the extent of destruction inside the shop indicative of more than an ordinary theft. The incident has left the town’s residents on edge.