An unidentified person broke into the house of a businessman at Thampuranmukku early on Wednesday and decamped with gold ornaments kept in a wooden cupboard on the first floor.
Circle Inspector, Cantonment, Mohanan Nair, said the intruder had possibly hauled himself up from the ground to the relatively wide sunshade of the house and removed the bar of a window on the first floor to access the bedroom where the valuables were kept.
He said the house owner, who runs a convenience store in the city, had reported a loss of gold ornaments weighing a total of 135 sovereigns.
He told the police that he had kept his guard dog chained on Tuesday night. His two sons, both his business partners, were away to make bulk purchases of cosmetics, trinkets, and table ware in Mumbai.
He also told investigators that possibly the burglar was aided by persons who knew that his sons, who sleep on the top floor of the house, were away on business.
Police crime scene experts lifted several fingerprints from the house, including a few found on the reflective surfaces of the cupboard. Investigators also took the fingerprints of residents to zero in on the “alien print”, if any, which could perhaps lead them to the burglar.
Investigators also showed local people, including autorickshaw drivers and traders, the police mug shots of “known and listed” offenders who specialise in house break-ins. They were also verifying recently released persons from jail who specialised in breaking into first floors of houses by removing the bars of windows.
Sniffer dogs fail
The police also brought their sniffer dogs to find out if the intruder had left behind any object with his scent on it. But, the police dogs could not sniff out the trail the suspect had possibly taken.
City Police Commissioner P. Vijayan and Assistant Commissioner, Cantonment, K. Haridas visited the scene of crime.
Patrolling intensified
Apprehending a possible spurt in burglary and break-in attempts, the police have intensified their patrolling of residential areas. They have also asked neighbourhood watch groups to remain vigilant.
