KOLKATA: SP Gon Chaudhuri is not much worried over the cash that a gang of robbers took away from his home on Sunday. What the eminent scientist rues the most is that the goons managed to get away with his most prized possession: the memento of the Ashden Award, popularly known as the green Oscar.

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are annual awards given by a charity of the same name that is based in London. They reward local sustainable energy projects in the UK and developing countries that protect the environment and improve the quality of life. Gon Chaudhuri had received the award in 2003.

Sarah Butler-Sloss created the awards in 2001, from the Ashden Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.

The Ashden Awards rewards and promotes local sustainable energy solutions in the UK and the developing world. Through the awards, they aim to raise awareness of the huge potential of local sustainable energy to both tackle climate change and improve the quality of people's lives.

To help their winners, the Ashden Awards gives cash prizes, presented at an Awards ceremony in London every June.

A day after a gang of four robbers tied him up and stranded him showing a knife before taking away with some of his most prestigious lifetime award mementoes, renewable energy expert and Ashden award winner S.P. Gon Chaudhuri said that it is for the first time in his life that he got much frightened. The scientist is shocked over losing the priceless memento of the Ashden Award - his most prestigious lifetime achievement for his contribution in the renewable energy sector - that robbers took away along with cash and other belongings. The scientist doesn't fret about the lost cash.

The scientist said that he is annoyed that the gang of four robbers who tied him up and held a knife to him took away irreplaceable items: plaques, priceless watches, pens and other items that he got as gifts from across the world.

Shaken after the incident, the scientist, who is a former MD of WBREDA (West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency) and WBGEDC (West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation) and a former adviser to the state government's power department, did not say much against the robbers who tied him up and had put a knife at his throat while robbing his home. "All throughout my life, I have tried to work for the people. Maybe this happened because I had made some mistakes," he said.

Around 8.30pm, as Gon Chaudhuri was working in his study on his laptop. "Suddenly, the doorbell rang. There were four youths who said they had come to collect Puja subscription as the domestic maid, who has been working in my house for the last 10 months, opened the door. The youths - none of whom were more than 30 years of age - suddenly entered the house and held me at knifepoint. They then tied me up and said they had a tip-off that I had brought about Rs 60,000 cash in my house," Gon Chaudhuri told TOI.

The goons demanded the keys to the almirah but Gon Chaudhuri told them that he did not have the keys with him. "The keys are with my wife, who is in London now. They then took me upstairs, asking me to show where I had kept all my valuables as the ransacked all the rooms. The domestic maid was standing downstairs with another of the miscreant pointing a knife at her. They were there for around 25 minutes before leaving. They said they would shoot me if I shouted for help while they were leaving."

The scientist said the four miscreants were all conversing in Bengali. "The domestic maid should not have opened the door," he said.

The maid, Bimola, who hails from Kultali in South 24-Parganas, has been detained for questioning.

Suspicion is being raised on Bimola, the domestic maid from Kultoli of South 24 Parganas who has been working in the house for the last ten months. The maid has been detained by the police for interrogation. The police is yet to make any arrest. a probe is on.

The maid has been detained by the police for interrogation.

Apart from the Ashden Award, the robbers also took away the plaque of the Tripura Ratna award, the Euro Solar award, an award given from IIT Mumbai and another by former President A P J Abdul Kalam as a recognition to his contribution in sustainable energy.

"After they left I called up some people and have also informed the matter at Lalbazar. I have also informed the state home secretary through another person. The police took prompt action and came to my house within 10 minutes, Officers from Tiljala police station reached the spot for inspection. Officers from Lalbazar also went to the house on Monday morning for further interrogation.