Rs 15L, 40 sovereigns gold stolen from locked house, shop

Coimbatore: Burglars have broken into a house and retail shop in the east zone of the city corporation and decamped with gold ornaments weighing 40 sovereigns and Rs 15.34 lakh.
The Singanallur (crime) police said the burglars had entered the house, which was located at Kothari Nagar, when its owner S Mariappan, 57, was away in his hometown at Thalaiyuthu in Tirunelveli district.
“An assessment officer with the Tangedco office at Ondipudur, Mariappan had left for Thalaiyuthu on April 23 after locking his house. When he returned home around 10am on Monday, he found the front door lock was broken open and gold ornaments weighing 40 sovereigns and Rs 1.5 lakh was missing from the house,” an investigation officer told TOI.
Mariappan called up the Singanallur police, who held an inquiry with him. Forensic experts also visited the house and lifted a few fingerprints. Police have registered a case and further investigation is on.
Burglars have also struck at the Reliance Fresh store at Balan Nagar Junction at Masakkalipalayam in the city and made away with Rs 13.84 lakh.
In her complaint, Radhika, assistant manager of the store, told police that she had locked the store around 9pm on Saturday and hadn’t opened it on Sunday, when the total lockdown was in force.
“When Radhika came to the shop around 6.10am on Monday, she found the lock of the steel shutter was broken open and the cash was missing from the store,” the officer said. The Singanallur police have registered a case and further investigation is on.