Surat, Gujarat: In a brazen act, two thieves managed to steal Rs 11 lakh in cash and a mobile phone from a shop located on the fifth floor of Surat Textile Market (STM) late Friday night. The audacious heist, which took place within a span of 3 hours and 33 minutes, has raised questions about the market's security measures.

According to reports, the thieves snuck onto the market rooftop half an hour before closing time (10 pm) and hid until the market shut down. They then broke into a dress shop on the rooftop, bypassing an iron grill and two locks on a metal shutter. After ransacking the shop and stealing a mobile phone, they proceeded to the shop's office and broke open a drawer containing Rs 11 lakh in cash, the daily takings of the business.

CCTV footage reportedly shows the thieves escaping through the building's fire escape after the heist. The fact that they managed to bypass security guards stationed at the market and escape with a significant amount of cash has caused concern among shop owners and market authorities.

Salabatpura police have registered a case of theft and are investigating the incident using CCTV footage collected from the market. The lack of a secondary exit from the rooftop shop is also being investigated as a security lapse.