Burglars broke into the house of a silver trader and decamped with 60 sovereigns of gold jewellery, ₹65 lakh in cash and 10 kg of silver ornaments, in Ammapettai in Salem.
According to the police, Saroja, 59, the second wife of Babulal, 64, of Shevapet, was residing on Pillaiyar Kovil Street in Ammapettai. On May 2, 2024, she left for her daughter’s house in Shankar Nagar. When she returned on Tuesday, May 7, she found the front door’s lock broken and the jewellery and cash, that had been kept in an almirah, missing. The Ammapettai police were alerted.
A team led by Assistant Commissioner Selvam inspected the house while fingerprint experts and a sniffer dog were pressed into service. Inquiries revealed that the burglars changed the direction of the closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs), and also took away the hard disc recording the footage.
Police suspect a gang of three persons could have been involved in the crime. “The burglary could have taken place anytime between May 2 and 7,” a senior police official said. Footage from CCTV cameras in the vicinity is being scrutinised.
Police said Saroja was a native of New Delhi, and she had recently sold her house there and had come to Salem with the money. Since she was also engaged in lending money for interest, many customers visited her house regularly, the official said. The police are also questioning Saroja’s domestic helps.
