Kolkata: Repeat offender held for CNMC laptop theft

KOLKATA: Months after one person, identified as Sourav Sarkar, was arrested for carrying out thefts at various academic institutions - targeting research papers of eminent scholars - he has been nabbed again. This time, he has been caught on CCTV camera stealing two laptops from the bio-chemisty lab of CNMC Hospital. The theft had taken place on August 13.
"The modus operandi was similar to the one reported from several government institutions. CCTV footage was scanned for confirmation. Sarkar (41) was then kept under constant watch. He was finally arrested on Monday. The laptops have been recovered," said joint CP (crime) Murlidhar Sharma.
Sarkar, who had committed his first theft at a house 17 years ago, has been involved in many other thefts from leading colleges, government offices and hospitals. He was arrested last in April this year after it was found that he had allegedly posed as a guardian in a reputable south Kolkata college and walked away with two mobile phones from two professors.
"We are now planning to include some harsher charges and keep him behind bars for a longer time," said a south division officer.