Kolkata mattress shop robbery: Hawala operator arrested, Rajasthan gang suspected
Synopsis
A hawala operator was nabbed at Howrah station minutes before boarding a Gujarat-bound train — the first arrest in the ₹1.3 crore armed robbery at a Kolkata mattress shop. But investigators say this is bigger than one heist: the same business owner has reportedly been targeted across Jharkhand, UP, Gujarat, and Kolkata itself, pointing to a coordinated criminal network with roots in Rajasthan.
Key Takeaways
Lalit Mundra , a hawala operator from Salkia, Howrah , was arrested on Tuesday as the alleged 'tipper' in the ₹1.3 crore Cotton Street mattress shop robbery.
Three masked, armed robbers stormed the shop in Kolkata's Posta area last Wednesday, brandishing revolvers and fleeing with the cash.
CCTV footage showed Mundra guiding the robbers to the shop; he was caught at Howrah station twenty minutes before a Gujarat-bound train departed.
A Rajasthan-based gang is suspected; a Kolkata Police team has headed to Bikaner to track the robbers.
Similar robberies targeting the same business owner have been reported in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat , and at a Survey Park, Kolkata office looted last May.
Three mattress shop employees went missing after the robbery; police are probing whether the owner's acquaintances are repeatedly involved.
Kolkata Police have arrested a hawala operator in connection with the ₹1.3 crore robbery at a mattress shop on Cotton Street in the city's Posta area, with investigators pointing to a gang from Rajasthan as the primary suspects. The arrest, made on Tuesday, comes days after armed robbers stormed the shop last Wednesday and fled with the cash.
How the Arrest Unfolded
Lalit Mundra, identified by police as a hawala businessman from Salkia, Howrah district, was taken into custody after CCTV footage placed him at the scene of the robbery. The footage reportedly showed him leading the robbers to the shop, then sitting at a nearby stall drinking tea and making phone calls while the crime unfolded — before following the robbers as they fled.
When officers raided his Salkia residence, Mundra had already left. Police rushed to Howrah railway station, where they found he had boarded a Gujarat-bound train. He was arrested twenty minutes before the train's departure. During interrogation, Mundra reportedly claimed the ₹1.3 crore was hawala money.
The Robbery: What Happened
On Wednesday last week, three robbers entered the mattress store on Cotton Street in Kolkata's Posta area with towels tied around their faces. Armed with revolvers, they threatened employees and decamped with ₹1.3 crore in cash before fleeing. According to police, the robbers subsequently escaped from Howrah station to Madhya Pradesh, though their homes are reportedly in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
A Pattern Across Multiple States
The investigation has taken a wider turn, with police uncovering what appears to be a pattern of targeted robberies against the same business owner. Complaints of robberies worth several crores of rupees have reportedly been filed in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat — all at shops linked to the same mattress business owner. Notably, another office of the same owner in Kolkata's Survey Park was looted as recently as last May.
Three employees of the mattress shop also went missing after last week's robbery, a development police are treating as a significant lead. Investigators are now probing whether the owner's own acquaintances may be repeatedly facilitating the crimes.
What Kolkata Police Are Doing Next
A Kolkata Police team has departed for Bikaner, Rajasthan, to pursue the absconding robbers. Investigators said searches will be conducted in Rajasthan based on information gathered during Mundra's interrogation. The case is being treated as a coordinated, multi-state criminal operation rather than an isolated incident.
Point of View
Multi-state criminal enterprise. The fact that the same business owner has been robbed repeatedly — across at least four states — raises questions that go beyond gang activity: why has this owner been targeted so persistently, and what is the role of insiders? Three missing employees and a suspected acquaintance angle suggest police are quietly treating the owner's inner circle as part of the probe. The hawala dimension adds another layer — if the ₹1.3 crore was indeed hawala money, as Mundra claims, the case sits at the intersection of organised crime and informal finance, which complicates both prosecution and asset recovery.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Kolkata mattress shop robbery case?
Lalit Mundra, a hawala operator from Salkia in Howrah district, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the ₹1.3 crore robbery at a mattress shop on Cotton Street in Kolkata's Posta area. Police identified him as the 'tipper' who called the robbers from Rajasthan and guided them to the shop.
How much was stolen in the Kolkata Cotton Street robbery?
Armed robbers stole ₹1.3 crore in cash from the mattress shop on Cotton Street in Kolkata's Posta area last Wednesday. Three men with towels tied around their faces entered the shop, threatened employees with revolvers, and fled.
Who are the main suspects and where are they now?
According to investigators, a gang based in Bikaner, Rajasthan, carried out the robbery. The robbers reportedly fled from Howrah station to Madhya Pradesh after the heist. A Kolkata Police team has travelled to Bikaner to track them down.
Is this an isolated robbery or part of a larger pattern?
Police believe it is part of a larger pattern. Robberies worth several crores have reportedly been reported at other shops linked to the same business owner in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. A separate office of the owner in Kolkata's Survey Park was also looted last May.
What is the significance of the missing employees?
Three employees of the mattress shop went missing after the robbery, and police are investigating whether the owner's acquaintances are repeatedly facilitating the crimes. The missing staff are considered a key lead in understanding whether there is an insider angle to the robberies.
