Kolkata: An elderly woman allegedly stole a 1.5-kg Padma hilsa worth Rs 3,700 from a busy fish market in Madhyamgram on Thursday morning, during peak hilsa season.The incident took place at Kalibari Bazaar, leaving fish seller Prasenjit Biswas stunned and angry. According to Biswas, the well-dressed woman introduced herself as the owner of a reputed local textile shop and selected the biggest hilsa at his stall.“She haggled over the price, picked the biggest hilsa at the shop and had it weighed. The fish weighed nearly 1.5 kg and cost Rs 3,788. After bargaining, I agreed to knock off Rs 88. The fish was cleaned, cut and packed. But when it came to paying, the elderly woman told me that her clothing shop was just across the market and that she would fetch the money. She never came back,” Biswas said.The woman claimed her shop was in the Kathgola area, opposite the market. Trusting her because of her age and appearance, Biswas even arranged a rickshaw for her. The rickshaw puller later said he dropped her about 200 metres away in Kathgola. She was reportedly speaking on the phone and told him the shop belonged to her family, adding that the fish seller could collect the money from there.However, shopkeepers in the area said they did not know any such woman. By then, she had disappeared.Biswas also alleged that before leaving, the woman borrowed Rs 300 from him, saying she would return it from the shop.“I have been in this business for years, but I have never experienced anything like this. How could I have known that she would cheat me in this manner?” Biswas said.Upset, he shut his shop for the day and later approached police. CCTV footage captured images of the woman, and the market committee is reviewing the footage to identify her. A complaint has been lodged with the police.
