A house near Ranikuthi that was left empty for a few hours was burgled and cash and gold jewellery were stolen on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said at least two men had entered the house, located in a congested neighbourhood not far from NSC Road, after breaking the padlock on the main gate.

They also broke the lock on the cupboard in which the cash and the jewellery were kept. Two mobile phones are missing, too.

The house belongs to lawyer Ashok Majumdar, who lives there with his family.

“The family members were not at home when the burglars struck between 1.30pm and 2pm,” an officer said.

“The main gate was ajar when I reached home. Just at the entrance, some jewellery boxes and a vermilion container were strewnon the floor. My first thought was that something bad had happened to my wife. But she was not home and a cupboard was ransacked,” Majumdar said.

Majumdar’s wife, like on other days, had left home around 1.30pm to pick up the couple’s granddaughter from her school near Tollygunge. “I usually return home from the school by 2.30pm. Today was no exception,” Majumdar’s wife said.

“It seems the burglars knew about the daily routine of the family members,” an officer said.