Ahmedabad: A businessman in the construction business has accused a former contractor of breaking into his SG Highway office and stealing Rs 8.42 lakh in cash, property documents, cheque books and personal identity documents.The FIR filed with Bodakdev police on Wednesday said the contractor had been hired to lay the flooring for one of the businessman’s real estate projects. He was familiar with the office layout, document storage locations, and cash-handling practices, as he frequently visited the office during the contract period, which ended six months ago, the businessman alleged.The theft came to light on Wednesday morning when the firm’s accountant found documents and cash missing from the desk drawers. A review of CCTV footage showed the former contractor entering the office after breaking the lock on the main door around 9pm on Tuesday, police said.Police said the accused spent over two hours inside the premises. He is suspected of breaking open multiple drawers in the accounts section and removing documents and valuables.The stolen items include original sale-related property records, stamp duty documents, chequebooks linked to personal and business accounts, advance cheques issued by customers, identity documents of several family members and business records. Case papers related to court matters and RTI applications were also reported missing.The accused targeted documents that could potentially be misused for financial transactions or create difficulties for the business. Police are also examining whether the theft was intended to obtain sensitive commercial information.
