Three persons broke into a house near Udumalpet and decamped with ₹16 lakh and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the early hours of Sunday.
The police said that the theft took place at the house of V. Palanisamy (75), a resident of Dhali Road near Elaiyamuthur Pirivu near Udumalpet, around 2.30 a.m. on Sunday. According to the police, Mr. Palanisamy has been running a fertilizer store Senthilmurugan Agro Service at Udumalpet.
The burglars struck at the house when Mr. Palanisamy and his wife were sleeping in two separate bedrooms on the ground floor while his son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren were asleep in bedrooms on first floor. Three unknown persons wearing mask broke open the main door and entered Mr. Palanisamy's bedroom.
They cut the wrist of his right hand with a sickle and tied him up. They forcibly took the key of a shelf from Mr. Palanisamy and stole the cash.
The accused also took digital video recorder of the surveillance camera system at the house before leaving the place in his SUV. The police have formed special teams to trace the accused.
