Kolkata Police arrests accused for theft from Colootola Laal Masjid's donation box

In a swift move, Kolkata Police’s Detective Department arrested a 35-year-old man who broke into the historic Laal Masjid (Masjid Ahle Hadees) in Colootola area and stole around Rs 50,000 from the donation box on 26th October. The theft happened between 2:56 am and 3:08 am when the mosque at was completely empty. The thief quietly forced open the wooden box and vanished within minutes, unaware that the entire act had been captured clearly on CCTV cameras.

Using the footage, officers from Jorasanko Police Station and the Detective Department quickly identified the suspect as Md. Shabbir, a resident of Tiljala. Acting on secret tip-offs, a team nabbed him on 17 November. When questioned firmly, Shabbir confessed and led Kolkata Police to the place where he had hidden the money. Officers recovered Rs 49,100 – almost the entire stolen amount – in cash from his possession, giving huge relief to the mosque committee and worshippers.

The recovered money has been seized as evidence and will be returned to the mosque after court formalities. As per reports, accused Shabbir has previous cases and was desperately in need of cash, which pushed him to target the place of worship. The mosque management has thanked Kolkata Police for the lightning-fast arrest and recovery, saying it will help restore faith among devotees who regularly drop their offerings.