Trader suffers heart attack after shop burglary in Vejalpur

Ahmedabad: A trader suffered a heart attack after discovering a burglary at his shop in the Vejalpur area, police said, with a complaint in the case being filed on Saturday after the victim recovered from his medical condition.The complainant, Suresh Kumawat, 50, who runs a metal trading business with his wife Chandi and son Narayan, told police that the family had travelled to their native place in Rajasthan on April 23 to attend a religious function. According to the FIR, during their absence, unidentified persons broke into the shop located in a commercial complex near the Butbhavani temple. The incident came to light on April 28 around 4am when a relative received information from a local resident who noticed the shop's lock broken, and the shutter partially open. The complainant rushed back to Ahmedabad and reached the shop later that morning, where he found the premises ransacked on inspection. Police said around 600kg of copper material, including burnt wires, pipes and scraps, was stolen. The total value of the stolen copper is estimated at Rs 6.6 lakh, along with Rs 25,000 cash missing from a drawer. While assessing the losses, the complainant experienced chest pain and was immediately rushed to a private hospital near Thaltej, where he was treated for a heart-related condition. Owing to his health condition, he could not approach the police immediately. After recovery, he later filed a complaint with Vejalpur police. "The theft appears to have taken place between April 23 and April 28 when the shop remained closed. The accused broke the lock and entered by lifting the shutter," a police official said. A case of burglary has been registered against unidentified persons, and further investigation is in progress.