Udupi: Thieves succeeded in stealing gold ornaments worth nearly Rs 5 lakh after gaining access to a house at Kurkalu Subhash Nagar in Shankarapura.
The ornaments fell into the hands of the thieves after they opened the lock of the cupboard in which the valuables were safely stored using the key which was kept inside an unlocked cupboard. The thieves made off with 195gm of the precious metal.
The theft occurred at the house belonging to Irene Martis, a retired teacher who lives with her husband, son and maid. She has apparently kept the ornaments inside the cupboard on returning home after attending an ordination ceremony in Shankarapura church on April 24. She then kept the key in an unlocked cupboard as per her usual practice. On the occasion of the crime, the family members were sleeping in two rooms.
Initial investigation points towards the thieves possessing initial knowledge on where the ornaments were being kept and on where to find the keys. Yet, there is a possibility that the thieves might have sifted through the open cupboard first, found the key and then unlocked the second cupboard.
Shirva police have registered a case in this connection and carrying out investigation.
