Burglars hoodwink UoH security to steal 60 laptops from campus

Hyderabad: Burglars broke into CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (AIMSCS) on the well-guarded University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus and escaped with 60 laptops worth 12 lakh on Monday. Based on a complaint by CR Rao AIMCS registrar CN Varma, Gachibowli police have registered a burglary case and launched a probe to identify the offenders, who police said seemed to be well versed with the security set up on the campus.The burglary took place between 3am and 4am on Monday, when unknown offenders broke into the computer lab of AIMCS through the rear window. Before entering the lab, the offenders cut off the CCTV cable and escaped with all 60 laptops in the lab."There is CCTV inside the lab and also at the entrance of AIMCS. The offenders cut off the cable of CCTV inside the lab before entering. They also gained entry from the window behind AIMCS, where there was no camera," a Gachibowli police official said.The incident came to light on Monday morning when staff arrived at the institute and opened the lab door. They immediately alerted the higher-ups.UoH registrar Devesh Nigam said that though CR Rao AIMCS was located on the UoH campus, the institute was not related to the varsity. "They have their own management, faculty and security," Devesh Nigam said."The institute has an MoU with JNTU for providing engineering (BTech) degrees. Regarding the theft, a police complaint has been filed," JNTUH registrar K Venkateswara Rao said.Gachibowli police registered a case under Sections 331 (4) (Lurking house-trespass or housebreaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment) and 305 (a) (Theft in any building, tent or vessel used as a human dwelling or used for the custody of property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Monday.A CLUES Team visited the place and collected forensic evidence. Police said AIMCS had a security guard at the entrance of the building, but he did not notice the offenders. Police suspect the accused might have taken the stolen laptops in a car and said they were analysing security footage at various gates to identify the offenders. Police recorded the guard statement and he claimed to have not heard anything."We suspect that the accused parked their car a little away from AIMCS building and walked to it with stolen laptops through the trees behind the building. There are cameras across the university campus. Details of vehicles entering and leaving the campus are noted down by the security. We are verifying CCTV footage and vehicle entry logs to identify the accused," Gachibowli inspector K Balaraju said.