BHUBANESWAR : A gang of burglars had all the time in the world as they ate and smoked before decamping with gold and silver ornaments worth at least Rs 28 lakh from a high school teacher’s house in Paika Nagar area within Nayapalli police limits of the city in the small hours of Monday.
The anti-socials scaled the terrace of teacher Nirupama Sahoo’s rented accommodation and entered into the house through the roof of the single-storied building. Then they used iron rods to break six cupboards and box beds where the jewellery were kept. The stolen goods include 400 gram gold and 500 gram silver jewellery.
The burglars appeared familiar with the fact that Nirupama is on a visit to Maharashtra’s Shirdi Sai Temple. Her two sons - Bibhu and Shibu work as engineers in Dubai. Her younger son Shibu had got married earlier this year and the family members had kept all their gold and silver ornaments in the cupboards and the box beds after the wedding.
The culprits had scoured all the three rooms in the house and selected the jewellery which they appeared to have clear knowledge about. They also took away Rs 10,000 cash but left behind imitation jewellery items and foreign currencies.
Before wrapping up their act, they ate apples and smoked in Nirupama’s house. Though her house has a CCTV camera, its angle did not capture the burglary. However, a neighbour’s CCTV camera showed a bike-borne youth wearing a hoodie, trailed by a car, suspiciously moving near the house.
While Nirupama stays with her elder daughter-in-law and grandson, her younger brother Niladri resides in the same locality. Since Nirupama is on tour, she had asked her daughter-in-law and grandson to go her brother’s house, located a stone’s throw away, during the night.
The incident came to light when her daughter-in-law returned home at 5 am on Monday. She found the cupboards broken and box beds removed, following which she alerted her uncle Niladri.
Nayapalli police reached the spot along with a scientific team. The cops established that the miscreants had trespassed into the house by breaking the terrace door. Police sources said the burglars possibly targeted the house between 3 am and 4 am.
Police suspect that anti-socials familiar with the area and those acquainted with Nirupama’s family may have been behind the burglary which was carried out with precision.