Three burglaries in one night, Vasant Kunj rattled

He noted that the house next to his, which had been vacant for months, was not broken into.

"They knew that they would not get any valuable from there. Fortunately, we do not keep valuables at home, so the loss is not huge," he said.

He said the burglars did pick up some imitation jewellery from the house, but dumped it when they realised it was not of any value.

Poonam Sharma, whose ground-floor flat (No. 4333) was burgled, said she was at her mother's house at the time. "We did not have any jewellery or cash in the house. They cut the iron latch on the front door. Thefts here are not uncommon," she said.

Police said the burglars had also relieved themselves inside the houses they broke into.

"We asked the society cleaner to clean the house," said Shrivastava, who was among the first inspect the ransacked houses.

Police suspect the role of a tribal gang, which is known to resort to such activities. Sharma's and Sinha's houses were soiled, police said.

V Viswanathan, Pocket 5&6 RWA vice-president, claimed that police had not been serious in investigating previous cases of breaking and entering in the neighbourhood.

"My house was burgled in 2008, and it took me months to get an FIR registered. Police registered an FIR only when I met the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the area," Viswanathan said.

Police have registered a case of burglary; no arrest has been made.

Investigating officers suspect the role of labourers, who are hired to renovate some of the flats in the neighbourhood. Police said traces of cement were found in footprints inside the ransacked homes .

Evidence and clues

House numbers 4333, 4287, 4290 targeted

Latches were cut using tools

Almirahs ransacked, drawers emptied

... contd.

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