CHENNAI: Drinking on the job is a bad idea, and the same landed a burglar behind bars as he passed out after breaking into a house on Friday night. According to the police, the burglar, Ezhumalai, 27, from Thiruvannamalai district, was found by the owners sleeping on their bed. Although he fled the scene, he was caught later in the day.
Police said that the burglary took place at the house of R Karthik Naren, 32, from Kasthurbhai Nagar in Adyar, who works as an accountant at a private firm in the city. His parents live on the first floor while he stays with his family on the second floor of the building. The parents had gone to Varanasi last week.
“On Friday night, Ranganathan had asked his son to keep the door open since they will arrive by midnight. His parents arrived at Chennai airport and reached home by 12.30 am,” said a senior police officer. They found the front door open and a man lying inside their bedroom. After the couple raised an alarm, the burglar pushed the elderly aside and sped away. The man escaped with Rs 40,000 in cash, some foreign currencies and also ate food from the refrigerator.
Based on the information, a police team led by Adyar inspector of police Kulanthairaj reached the spot. Police caught the burglar sleeping on the terrace of an under-construction building. After preliminary investigation, police said that Ezhumalai is also involved in petty thefts, said police.
“Ezhumalai works in an under construction building at Adyar and stays there with the rest of the workers. He entered the apartment building nearby in an inebriated state. He found the door open and stole cash and currencies. He was already drunk and dozed off after eating a bunch of chocolates from the refrigerator,” said ACP (Adyar) Nelson.
After Ranganathan raised an alarm, he fled the house and slept on the terrace of the construction site he was working. The Adyar police registered a case and arrested Ezhumalai. He was remanded in judicial custody on Saturday.