The jewellery stolen from Tanishq showroom at Punjagutta was not worth Rs. 19 crore as initially believed, as its management put the value of the stolen ornaments and precious stones at around Rs. 5.97 crore on Sunday.
That made the heist committed at Joy Alukkas showroom, where gold ornaments and diamonds valued at Rs. 9 crore were stolen seven years ago, still the biggest burglary ever reported in the State capital. On Saturday, the manager of Tanishq told the police that gold ornaments worth Rs. 19.2 crore were taken away by the offenders.
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“After examining the crime scene and collecting forensic evidence, we insisted on precise details of the stolen property like the ornament weight and value,” the Punjagutta police said. Investigators asked the showroom employees to furnish particulars of the stock register, purchases and sales item wise and the balance available in the showroom.
The investigators maintained that the complainant in the case had explained to them that he had given Rs. 19.2 crore as an “approximate” value.
According to the complaint, the stolen gold ornaments weighing nearly 18 kg and precious stones weighing 12 kg were valued at Rs. 7.20 crore and Rs. 12 crore respectively, amounting to Rs. 19.2 crore.
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On Sunday, however, the shop manager clarified that verifications had put the value of the total stolen property at Rs. 5.97 crore comprising gold ornaments and precious stones weighing 15.57 kg.
In the Joy Alukkas burglary reported in May 2006, the gang made off with gold ornaments and precious stones weighing 23 kilos. It was valued around Rs. 9 crore but the value of gold was around Rs. 8.5 lakh a kilo then. It had nearly trebled now.