Cash & jewellery stolen from BJP MLA's flat in city

LUCKNOW: Unidentified miscreants made away with Rs 1.50 lakh and jewellery worth worth several lakh rupees from a flat allotted to BJP's Lakhimpur (Sadar) MLA Yogesh Verma at 'Bahukhandi Mantri Awas'. The building is located under Hazratganj police station.
According to the police, the incident came to light when Verma returned to his 901 number flat around 7.30 pm on Monday and found the locks at the entrance gate broken.He checked his belongings which made it apparent to him that the house had been burgled. He subsequently called the police and a team reached the spot for investigation. The police pressed a dog squad into service to get leads about the miscreants, but did not get any success. The forensic officials also reached to collect fingerprints and other evidence from the crime scene.
Verma told TOI that he had gone to attend several meetings organized by his party workers on May 1 and returned to the flat only on Monday evening.
Visibly annoyed at the incident, Verma said the security arrangement at the prominent residential building was very poor and there was only one CCTV installed at the entrance gate. "Anybody can come and go here as he or she wishes. There is no security presence," Verma said.
SHO Hazratganj Anand Shahi said a case of theft has been registered. He also said the police are currently questioning those on duty at the entrance of the apartment and also trying to procure CCTV footage from the area. Shahi said the thieves seemed to know the inside area of the house very well.
"Prima facie, it appears that the thieves, on entering the MLA's flat, straightaway went inside his room and broke open the almirah. They also ransacked the room. There were also signs that indicate that the miscreants used the bathroom," said Shahi.
Verma said thieves had struck the same flat in 2017 when it was then allotted to then MLA from Samajwadi Party, Utkarsh Verma from Lakimpur (Sadar).