The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 500 sovereigns of jewels stolen from T. Nagar shop

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

500 sovereigns of jewels stolen from T. Nagar shop

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MARCH 31. Gold jewellery weighing 500 sovereigns were stolen from a shop at T. Nagar early this morning.

Senior police officials, who visited the spot, said a burglar entered Sri Abirami Jewellery on Prakasam Road through the generator room at the rear of the shop. He made a hole in the wall to get into the shop. The thief removed more than 160 bangles and earrings, worth over Rs. 23 lakhs, kept in an almirah.

The police suspect that the crime could have taken place between 2 and 4 a.m. For, it would have taken at least two hours for the intruder to make the hole and make away with the booty.

Alarm activated

S. Murugan, Deputy Commissioner, T. Nagar, said the alarm system in the shop was connected to a private security agency at Purasawakkam. Around 4.25 a.m., the agency alerted the shopowner, Sesha Madhavan, saying the alarm was activated, possibly by a break-in. Mr. Madhavan, who stays close by, sent his son, S. Hari, to the shop. He returned home saying he found nothing amiss.

Five minutes later, the security agency again alerted Mr. Madhavan. This time, the owner himself visited the shop. He, too, did not notice any suspicious movement and returned home.

However, when he went to the shop around 10 a.m. he noticed that the jewellery were missing and that a hole was made in the wall in the generator room.

Fingerprints lifted

Mr. Murugan said fingerprints lifted from the scene tallied with those of a criminal from Andhra Pradesh, wanted in connection with similar crimes in the city. Special parties have been formed.

Mr. Murugan said the shopowner, on being alerted by the security agency, could have informed the police control room or the Pondy Bazaar station, not far away. When alarms were raised, shopowners used to inform the police. On most occasions, the alarms were activated by the movement of bandicoots.

The Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, R. Nataraj, visited the spot.

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